Watch Your Step
by standonceremonywithcaptainswan
Summary: Modern Day CS AU - Emma Swan is a lecturer at a university in London. Amidst her usual morning routine, her morning commute is changed when she meets a stranger. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello readers! So I've already got a Captain Swan fanfic going, but that one is based right after the season 5 finale. After doing some reading of AU fanfic, I became inspired to transport my beloved OTP to a different setting and have them meet under different circumstances. I present to you, my modern day AU fanfic.**

 **Emma Swan works as a lecturer at a university in London (it's a fictional university based in one of my favourite parts of London). She moved to London and has been teaching for 10 years. Her life since she started teaching has been uneventful until one morning on her usual commute when she meets a stranger.**

 **I hope you like it, please review and let me know what you think!**

 _And when they looked back at him, he saw the glint in their eyes, fed by visions of gold. 'Are you with me?' Hunter shouted. They responded with a shout._

 _'Then, on to Matanceros.'_

'We will shortly be arriving at London Liverpool Street. Please ensure you have all of your personal belongings with you when leaving the train'. Emma groaned. She was just getting engrossed in Pirate Latitudes, a book she had been dying to read for months, when the train arrived at the station.

It had not been an easy journey for reading. Many of the passengers were talking loudly to each other, or down the phone at someone, or there was the usual cry of a baby who really didn't want to be there. And of course, there was the loud eater that had a never-ending packet of crisps. None of this surrounding noise allowed Emma to escape into the pages of her book, and her commute to work was one of few moments she had to read.

Emma couldn't remember a time when she didn't love to read. Her mum had read her stories about pirates, princesses, and dragons since she was a little girl. She loved every story her mum told her, but tales about pirates were her favourite. In fact, Peter Pan was one of her favourite stories and it often eluded people that she rooted for Captain Hook. There was something about pirates that had always fascinated her, but she'd never been able to put her finger on it.

As the train pulled into the station and came to a halt, Emma reluctantly put away her book and replaced it with her Oyster card. She did her usual; waited for the hoard of passengers to leave the train first before she moved. Standing up, she pulled the hem of her skirt down and pulled on her coat. It was the middle of autumn, and being London, the weather couldn't decide on either sunshine or rain so you had to be prepared. As she stepped off the train she noticed how much warmer the train had been. The cold air hurt her cheeks and it pushed her to rush for the barriers to get out of the station.

Once she was through the barriers her feet automatically took her across the station and to the Underground. It was busier than normal, but after working in London for nearly five years, Emma was more than capable of fighting her way through the crowds. Her footsteps echoed as she walked down to the Circle line, which was a long and boring walk. The train Emma needed, which was heading for Edgware road, turned up as she arrived, and Emma hopped onto the train.

She looked around desperately for somewhere to sit, but the train was busy so Emma had to stand. Disappointed that she wouldn't be able to read, she stood by the door and decided that people watching would be her commuting entertainment. As the train was crowded, it was difficult to get a good look at people without creeping anyone out. Giving up, Emma looked to the ground and decided that the long journey to South Kensington would have to be uneventful.

The doors beeped as they closed and Emma prepared for departure. Usually Emma was able to stand without holding on, but the train lurched forward quicker than Emma was used to. She fell against the man standing next to her. His arm hooked under her back and she was saved from falling on the floor. Emma was blurting out an apology before she had the chance to see who had saved her. When her eyes met the stranger's blue ones, Emma was rendered speechless. She had not seen a man this attractive before, especially not on the Circle line. He had dark hair that was almost black, with a trimmed beard, strong jawline, and a smile that made Emma weak at the knees.

"No apologies necessary, love," he spoke with a deep voice. The stranger helped her stand up. Emma reached for the horizontal pole above her head, which was cold to the touch. It brought her back to reality.

"No, really, I'm sorry, I should have been paying better attention," Emma said, trying not to look too deeply into his eyes.

"Really, it's okay. No harm done," he laughed. "Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?"

Emma laughed, "only my dignity." He laughed back, a laugh that he truly meant.

"Oh c'mon, love, it wasn't that embarrassing. It could have been much worse," he said as he flashed that smile again. It was only then that Emma took in his appearance. He was dressed in a tailored black suit, with a white Oxford shirt, dark blue tie, and black brogues. A tattered leather satchel hung off his left shoulder, and he had a bandage on his left hand. His dark hair was swept to the right side of his head. Emma had seen plenty of suited men around London but none of them stood out like this one. There was just something about him.

Emma smiled and looked down at the ground. She noticed what she must look like and became embarrassed at her appearance.

She had woken up late and hadn't had time to sort herself out like she normally would. Knowing she would be working late, she opted for comfy clothes that consisted of battered brown brogues, knee length maroon skirt, and a crew neck black t-shirt. She threw on a baggy, grey knitted cardigan that didn't really go with her outfit and ran her fingers through her hair as she legged it out the door.

She only lived a few minutes walk from the station, and once she was on the train, she managed to get a table, which allowed her to do her makeup. A subtle layer of foundation, thin line of eyeliner and a bit of mascara sufficed Emma. She rarely wore more makeup than this, unless it was a night out or a formal event, which were usually the same event.

Emma wished she hadn't woken up late so that she could have put a bit more care into her appearance. Her laid back 'could care less' attitude was fine when she was teaching, but Emma hadn't had much luck with men, and she quite liked the look of this guy.

Her eyes darted back up to the stranger who was eyeing her up. Emma wasn't sure whether she liked this or not. She wasn't used to it. Should she say something to him? What would she say? How do you ask someone out? Clearly the confusion appeared on her face, because the stranger spoke again.

"Is everything alright, love?" Emma snapped out of it, and smiled.

"Yes, everything's fine. Sorry, I'm in a daze today. Lots on my mind!" Emma smiled again, and looked anywhere but at him.

"Busy day, huh?" He cocked his head to one side. The train pulled into Aldgate and the majority of the passengers got off. Despite the many available seats, the two remained standing.

"Yeah, teaching all day and then a meeting afterwards. The joys of lecturing!" Once again, Emma awkwardly laughed. What was it that this stranger did that made her do that? She never awkwardly laughed!

"Oh you're a lecturer?" Emma nodded, and he asked, "what subject?"

"Erm," Emma's mind went blank. It had been a long time since someone showed interest in her job. "English Literature and History." Seeing his intrigued expression she explained, "I originally started teaching English Literature and then I was asked to take over part of the History teaching as well."

"That's impressive." If anyone else had said it, Emma would have assumed they were being sarcastic. The stranger, however, seemed sincere. "How long have you been teaching?"

"For about 10 years," she said, with a smile. He smiled back. The train then pulled into Bank, the next station.

"This is my stop," he said, with a look of slight reluctance on his face. "It was nice talking to you…" he paused and waited for her to announce her name.

"Emma."

"Emma. It was nice talking to you, Emma," he said, with that smile.

"Likewise…" Emma reciprocated his technique.

"Killian," he said, maintaining that smile.

"Killian," Emma said.

The train doors beeped to indicate they were about to close and Killian ran for the door. He just made it through before they shut behind him. He turned to face Emma, and although he looked slightly embarrassed, Emma was happy he took one last look at her. He flashed that smile as the train sped out of the station, and Emma kicked herself for not getting his number. For the chances of her seeing him again were second to none.


	2. Chapter 2

**So this chapter sees part of Emma's backstory - her first day at university. I got really excited writing this chapter, and I hope y'all like it! Please review :)**

* * *

Emma caught the eye of an old lady sat facing her. She was knitting what appeared to be a very large jumper, and she had a twinkle in her eye.

"You should have asked for his number," she said with a very 'you know I'm right' look. Emma did know she was right, she didn't have to say it. But as she wasn't interested in having a conversation about her love life to a complete stranger, Emma simply raised her eyebrows with a small smile in acknowledgement of the lady's words.

Emma continued to think about the stranger throughout her journey. Why hadn't she asked for his number? True that they had only spoken for about a minute, but there was something about him that Emma couldn't stop thinking about. It wasn't the first time some guy had hit on her, let alone the first time it happened on a train. But this guy, Killian, was different. He wasn't hitting on her; he was trying to get to know her. A guy hadn't wanted to do that since Neal, and that was 10 years ago.

* * *

Neal Cassidy was her first and only boyfriend and for a long time Emma thought he would be her last. Their relationship lasted five years, from when Emma was 18 until she was 23 years old. Emma remembered the day they met like it was yesterday. Emma had just started at Misthaven University, in fact it was the one she currently taught at, and Emma was all set to make it on her own.

* * *

She walked across campus with a huge dark red suitcase dragging behind her, a plastic box filled with books under her right arm, and a shoulder bag across her body. Despite what was meant to be one of the happiest days of her life, Emma was filled with sadness by the view surrounding her. Everyone that was moving into halls had someone with them. It was either a boyfriend, girlfriend, parent, grandparent or a sibling, but everyone had someone to help them. Emma kept her eyes down to avoid the stares that people were giving her. I must look like such an idiot, she thought.

Eventually Emma found her building; it was on the edge of campus. It was a magnificent building and looked like something out of a fairy tale. Guessing it was a Victorian manor house; Emma then saw plaque with the building's name on it. On paper, it was referred to as building seven, but here it was called Storybrooke Halls. Really? Emma thought to herself, sarcastically. A girl was stood near the entrance to the building, behind a table that was covered in cardboard boxes. She had black hair in a pixie cut, and was wearing a blue skater dress accompanied by matching green shoes and cardigan. She had pale skin and red lips. Emma dragged her stuff over to the girl and dumped it on the floor. The girl smiled at her.

"Hey, how can I help you?" the girl had a singsong voice, and Emma wondered how long it would take before it annoyed her.

"Hey, Emma Swan, I'm meant to be living here," she said, nodded towards the building.

"Emma Swan…" the girl said, looking through the boxes for a folder with Emma's name on it. "Emma Swan. That's a really pretty name," the girl said with a kind smile. Emma reciprocated the smile, but Emma's smile didn't reach her eyes. "What's your degree?"

"Erm, English Lit and History," Emma responded grumpily; she really wasn't in the mood for small talk.

"That's spooky!" the girl said, excitedly. Emma looked confused. "That's my degree too! Well, English Literature is, anyway!" Emma smiled back. The sun had crept out from behind a cloud and she could already feel the burning heat on her cheeks. Wearing a black leather jacket, black jeans and Chelsea boots, Emma really wasn't dressed for a heatwave.

"A-ha, here it is!" The girl had finally found Emma's folder. When she pulled it out, the smile grew bigger on her face. "Well what do you know, we're going to be flatmates!" Emma didn't want to hurt the girl's feelings by showing her own true ones, so Emma responded with the same smile.

"Oh good! It'll be nice having someone I know to live with!" Emma hoped she didn't sound as sarcastic as she felt. The girl didn't seem to notice.

"I'm so thrilled, I haven't met anyone else in my, well our, dorm yet. Here you go," she handed over Emma's folder. It was a transparent plastic wallet with a welcome kit and a set of keys. Emma took out the keys and saw that the keychain had a number 13 on one said, and a swan on the other. Not giving Emma a chance to think about this, she continued to talk, "so you're, well we're, on the fourth floor. The lift is inside through the middle doors. When you get out of the lift, it's on the left. I've chosen my room already, it's the second biggest. No one else has turned up yet, so you can grab the biggest room," the girl smiled once more. "Oh, I'm Mary by the way, but most people call me Snow." She held out her hand. Emma shook her hand and walked towards the door. "Use the keychain to get in the main entrance. It's a fob key," Snow called after Emma. "Yeah, just hold it against the panel under the keypad. That's it!" Snow exclaimed when Emma opened the door. "See you later!" Once again, Emma smiled, then dragged her stuff through the doors and into the lift.

Emma looked at her fob; there was definitely a swan on there. But why? Did everyone have a custom-made fob key, or was it just Emma? Making a mental note to ask Snow about it, Emma pulled her stuff out of the lift once she reached the fourth floor.

The hallway was dark with wooden panels on the walls. The floor had a long oriental rug than ran from one end to the other. The light fixtures on the walls were old oil lamps that had been transformed to accommodate modern light bulbs and electricity. As Emma walked towards her flat, the floorboards creaked underneath her feet. Flat number 13 was one of four flats on this floor. The flat opposite Emma's was number 15, with number 16 next to it. On the other side of the lift was flat number 14. Emma took out the key and unlocked the door to her flat and was pleasantly surprised at the inside.

Whoever designed these halls had done a fantastic job at keeping the Victorian look whilst making it fairly modern. As Emma walked through the front door, she was in the middle of an open plan kitchen, lounge and dining room. It was a large room, enough to fit about 40 people comfortably, but the furniture it was filled with made it look smaller. It was small but cosy, Emma thought. Huge windows that took up the majority of the walls had floor length olive green curtains draped around them. The kitchen had several cupboards and counters, with a modern oven, microwave, kettle and toaster already in place. There was a sink and a dishwasher, as well as a tall fridge. A half wall ran along the back of the cupboards near the door, allowing a sense of separation between the kitchen and the rest of the flat. The lounge had a matching three-seat sofa, two-seat sofa and three armchairs, all light grey in upholstery with cushions that matched the curtains. The dining room had an oak table that could sit 8 people with soft leather chairs to match. A short corridor lead to what Emma assumed was a bedroom behind the kitchen and the living room.

Emma took her stuff across the living room and opened the door to the downstairs bedroom. It was a small room, just big enough to have a double bed and a dresser in it. On a practical level would be perfect for Emma, as she had little stuff, but Emma was claustrophobic and liked having a lot of space.

Emma took her stuff and carried it up a spiral staircase, which lead to the top floor. There were three more bedrooms and a bathroom. Emma opened the door to the first bedroom, which was on the left of the stairs and away from the other two. Again, this room was bigger than the last bedroom, but Emma didn't like it. Emma crossed the hall to the last two rooms, knowing that one of them would be Snow's and one would be Emma's. The room on the left was Snow's; it was twice the size as the room downstairs and she had already filled it with most of her stuff. She had a dressmaker's mannequin in the corner, a wooden desk that was filled with books, a laptop and a lamp. Her bed was of an iron frame with the bed already made. Emma smiled at the duvet cover; it was frilly and flowery, and that suited Snow. Emma saw that there was an en suite bathroom in Snow's room and Emma was jealous. She'd kill for her own bathroom.

Finally, Emma opened the door to her room and Snow was right. It was the biggest room, and could easily fit the downstairs bedroom three times. Emma walked in and threw her suitcase and box onto the bed. Looking around, Emma smiled. She, too, had a bed with an iron frame, two end tables but only one had a lamp on it, a desk and, thankfully, her own en suite bathroom. As well as this, there were four shelves on the walls, a couple of bookcases, two dressers, and an armchair that matched the ones downstairs. The shelves, desk, bookcases, and dressers were all made out of dark wood and looked as though they were hundreds of years old. The windows were half the length of the ones downstairs and had the same olive green curtains. From her bedroom window, Emma could see across London, a view that made her smile. After years of dreaming of London, she finally lived there.

Emma turned to face her room and realised that if she was going to live here for three years, the duration of her degree, then she would seriously need to get some furnishings. Emma knew that Snow would love to go with her, and despite Emma not wanting to let anyone get too close to her, she knew it wouldn't hurt to make at least one friend.

As Emma unpacked her suitcase, she realised how little she actually owned. To be exact, Emma owned one midnight blue t-shirt dress, dark denim jeans, black high waist shorts, a smoke grey knitted cardigan, a couple of band t-shirts, a plain white vest, a berry red jumper, a few pairs of underwear, socks, tights, and a pair of walnut brown knee high boots. Emma sorted her clothes into the different drawers, but she only needed one of the dressers. She stood her boots next to the dresser and returned to the bed. In the plastic box, Emma took out several books, a notebook, pencil case, wash bag, makeup kit, hairbrush, a stuffed elephant, and her baby blanket. The baby blanket was the only thing Emma had from her parents, and she treasured it dearly. Emma placed the books on the bookcase, put her makeup and wash bag into the bathroom before draping her baby blanket over the back of the armchair.

Emma checked her watch: it was almost 4pm. Just as Emma wondered whether she should go and keep Snow company, Emma opened the door to see Snow standing there. She wasn't alone though, a short girl with brunette curly hair stood next to her. This girl was dressed in a forest green jumper that was tucked into a black skater shirt, with black heeled Chelsea boots. A cluster of studs could be seen on the shoulders of the jumper.

"Emma!" Snow sang, evidently pleased to see her. Emma smiled.

"I was just on my way to keep you company," Emma said. Snow was positively beaming at this point.

"Oh how sweet of you! But obviously, no need! I've just finished." Realising Snow hadn't introduced the girl next to her, she said. "Emma, this is Belle. She's our other flatmate!" Belle and Emma exchanged smiles and hellos. Emma was surprised to hear that Belle had an Australian accent. "So I'm guessing you've chosen this room!"

"Yeah, the view is fantastic," Emma said. She could see that the girls were itching to go into her room, but she was embarrassed at the little stuff she had and didn't want to answer any questions about it. Emma wondered whether she would be able to tell Snow at some point, but Emma shook that thought out of her head. Closing the door behind her, Emma stepped into the hall. "So, do we have a fourth flatmate?" Emma said, feigning interest.

"Yes! Her name is Aurora. She's just downstairs unpacking. She hasn't got a lot of stuff," Belle said. Emma prepared for some judgmental comment to follow, but it didn't happen. "I do hope she's alright. I think that's why she moved in so late, so she can avoid any questions." Emma let out a sigh of relief at the thought that Belle seemed really understanding.

"Oh I know," Snow joined in. "Maybe the four of us should have a girls night tonight? There's a bowling alley on campus. We could have a few games, a few drinks and a bite to eat?"

"That sounds great!" Emma said, surprising herself at her level of enthusiasm. For once, spending time with people didn't make Emma want to run and hide.

The girls went downstairs to introduce Emma to Aurora. Aurora was the same height as Emma and Snow, and she had long, auburn hair. She was dressed in a white floral playsuit with rust coloured pumps that laced around her ankles. Aurora hugged Emma as she said hi, something that threw Emma. She couldn't remember the last time someone had hugged her. Aurora showed the girls what she had done to her room, which admittedly wasn't a lot. Whether it was the size of the room or some magical talent Aurora had, it was hard to tell how little stuff she had.

They all decided to get changed and to leave in an hour. Emma looked at her clothes and immediately hated everything she owned. Why did she own so much black? Emma thought. Snow knocked on the door.

"Come in," Emma called out. Snow came in holding two cups of coco.

"I thought you might like some company," Snow said as she handed a cup over to Emma.

Emma took the cup and noticed what was on it. "Coco?" Emma thought out loud and she looked at Snow.

Worry fell on Snow's face. "Oh my god, I'm sorry, I should have asked. Let me make you another one."

"No, it's fine, I always put cinnamon on my coco. How did you know?" Emma was shocked.

"I always have cinnamon on my coco, too," Snow laughed. It was that moment that Emma knew that making friends with Snow wouldn't be a bad thing. "So, what are you going to wear tonight?"

"Oh, erm, I'm not sure," mumbled Emma, as she drank some coco. Damn, this girl makes good coco, Emma thought.

"Well let's see what you've got," Snow said as she opened a drawer in the dresser. When Snow saw how little Emma had, Emma became incredibly embarrassed. Bracing herself for a conversation about her past, Snow held out her hand. "C'mon, I think I've got just the thing." Emma took Snow's hand and was lead into her room. Snow gestured for Emma to sit on the bed while she went through her own clothes. After a few minutes, Snow pulled out a pair of light blue tailored shorts, and a white blouse with lace bib. She handed them over to Emma before going into a trunk under the window. She pulled out a pair of brown ankle boots that laced at the front and handed them over to Emma as well. Emma put her coco down and changed in the bathroom.

Emma loved the way she looked because it was as if she was a completely different person. Emma stepped out the bathroom and Snow gasped.

"Emma, you look amazing!" Snow said, her hands on her face. Emma couldn't help but smile.

"Snow! Emma! What's taking so long?" Belle shouted up. The two girls quickly drank their coco before grabbing their bags and jackets, and running down the stairs. Both Aurora and Belle commented on how lovely Emma looked, which warmed Emma's heart. She was finally convincing herself, once again, that making friends wouldn't hurt.

As the girls left the flat, a group of boys from flat 15 also left theirs.

And it was this moment that Emma first saw Neal Cassidy.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 _ **So the last chapter was an introduction into Emma's at university as well as the first day she met Neal. This chapter will be a combination of her university days with Neal as well as present day. Enjoy, and please review!**_

 _ **(I also wanted to write something so that people don't get confused: foster care is the place where children live before they are fostered and foster homes are the place where they live after they're fostered. I don't know if everyone already knew that, but I wanted to write it here just incase!)**_

* * *

Neal Cassidy. Of course, Emma didn't know that was his name, but it wouldn't be long before she found out.

* * *

There were four of them that came out of flat 15. Much to Emma's surprise, Snow ran over to one of them and gave him a kiss. Emma looked at the other guys; they were quite an attractive group, but one of them stood out for Emma. He had dark brown hair, and a scruffy beard. He was dressed in a fossil coloured hoodie, with a Henley shirt that was a shade darker, ripped black jeans and trainers.

When Snow let go of the guy she was kissing, she introduced everyone. The guy standing next to Snow's (presumably) boyfriend had short, light brown hair and wore a leather jacket, black t-shirt and jeans. Snow introduced him as Will Scarlet. On the other side of Snow's boyfriend was Robin Locksley, who had light brown hair that was slightly waved. He was wearing a cream coloured Henley with a stone grey cardigan, dark blue chinos and soft leather ankle boots. Snow introduced the scruffy bearded guy as Neal Cassidy before she introduced her boyfriend as David Nolan. David had dark blonde hair and wore a v-neck navy t-shirt with a black leather jacket and dark denim jeans. Snow told the guys that they were heading to the bowling alley and that it was a girls only night. David laughed and told her that the boys were heading to the SU bar (Student Union bar Emma guessed) for a few drinks.

They all walked to the lift together and got inside. Neal was stood on the opposite side to Emma and the two of them kept making eye contact. The first time it happened, Emma smiled, but when Neal didn't reciprocate, Emma would quickly look away.

The SU bar was near the bowling alley and so the newly formed group of 8 walked together. Snow and David were holding hands and leading the group, Will and Robin were messing around behind them, Belle and Aurora were in deep conversation about the reading list for the course, which left Emma to walk with Neal. It was awkward as anything because they didn't speak for while. It was at least a 10-minute walk and with every step Emma took, she wished she hadn't agreed to "girls night".

However, after a few minutes Neal spoke. "So, Emma," he said. He had a low, gruffly voice. "How ya findin' Misthaven so far?"

It was a bit of a lame question, but Emma went with it. "Well you know it's only been a few hours. But so fair it's not bad," she said. "What about you?"

"It's 'kay. I'm in my final year but not sure about this place," he said. Emma gave him the side eye.

"After nearly 3 years you're still not sure?"

He scoffed, "yeah, not really my thing. Hate bein' tied to one place. I'm not in classes much. I prefer bein' out in the world," he said. Emma understood that. Before she was at university, Emma moved around a lot. Not by choice, but she had seen a fair amount of England.

* * *

Emma had been in and out of foster homes since she was 5 years old, and had never been fostered for more than a year. Emma convinced herself that it was just the people she was placed with, but deep down Emma was worried that it was her own fault, and that no one would ever want her. She couldn't remember her first foster care or foster home, but according to her social worker it was in York. A young couple that were struggling to have a baby fostered her after four months of Emma being abandoned in foster care. Apparently Emma was only with the couple for three weeks before she was sent back, as the couple couldn't cope. After that, Emma was frequently moved to various foster cares and foster homes across England. When she was 16 she was finally had enough and decided to refuse every foster parent that came along. Eventually her social worker and care workers gave up and left Emma to it. Emma stay in foster care, studied hard at school and managed to get herself a place at Misthaven. Once the move in date was settled, you couldn't have moved Emma out of foster care quicker.

* * *

"What d'ya say to gettin' outta here?" Neal said.

"And doing what?" Emma replied.

"I dunno, drinkin', chattin', anythin'." Neal stopped Emma in her tracks and they looked at each other. Emma could tell he was a few years older than her, and she got the sense that he was a bit of a troublemaker. But he was the first boy to notice her, and Emma liked that.

"Sorry, I promised the girls. But I'm not doing anything tomorrow, aside from classes," Emma said.

"Well if I can't 'ave you tonight, guess I can wait. I'll come get ya tomorrow night, around 7?" After Emma nodded, Neal ran ahead to be with Will and Robin. When he caught up, he put Robin in a headlock and ruffled up his hair. Emma giggled; she loved the energy that she had given him. She couldn't wait for her date with him.

* * *

If it weren't for the announcement of the station, Emma would have missed her stop. Ensuring she had everything, Emma hopped off the train and headed for the exit.

South Kensington was always busy because it was one of the closest tube stops to the museums. Emma fought her way, as usual, through the crowds of people. She went through the barrier, and took a left out of the exit.

Killian and Neal were both on Emma's mind. Why did she have to think about Neal now? It had been 10 years, why were her memories still so fresh in her mind? Knowing she was too distracted to walk herself to work, she scrambled into a taxi and let the driver take her to Misthaven.

The university still looked exactly the same as it did when Emma was a student there. She passed the familiar buildings of the SU, the bowling alley, the coffee shop, the library, and the buildings she used to have lectures in. The building with her office in was called King Philip: after a few weeks of being at Misthaven, you get used to the buildings having names that belong in fairy tales.

Emma got to her office and looked at the clock. It was 9:50, and she only had 10 minutes to get herself together before class. Grateful for the fact she had her own office, Emma discarded her coat on the floor and slumped into her chair. Leaning back in her chair, Emma allowed herself a minute or two to close her eyes.

Emma had had the same office for the last 3 years, ever since she was promoted to Head of Department. The office was messy to the untrained eye, but Emma knew where everything was. Her office housed two tall bookcases that were filled to the brim with books. She had a couple of house plants that she was pretty certain had died. In the far corner she had two overstuffed armchairs with a small coffee table between them which she used for one-to-one meetings with students or staff. Emma's office had one of the best views out of all of the offices on campus. She could see right across London, a view that calmed her.

After Emma had rested, she logged onto her computer and printed out the notes and handouts needed for her first lecture of the day. While it was printing, Emma made herself a cup of tea to take with her. She hated the old, rusty taste of the water from the staff room down the hall, so Emma had taken it upon herself to get her own mini fridge, kettle and water cooler. Seeing that she only had five minutes to get to class, she stuffed the notes into her bag, grabbed her tea, and ran out the door.

Emma's first class was with second years. It was a class about adaptation theory and students from English Literature, History, Creative Writing and Drama could choose to take it. In this class there were roughly 150 students. They were good to Emma this morning, which made a nice change. They weren't a bad group of kids, but sometimes they had difficulty being quiet. For the first two weeks Emma spent most of her time getting them to be quiet, leaving little time for actual teaching.

Emma's mind was still flicking between Killian and Neal, and so Emma opted to put on the 2005 film version of Pride and Prejudice. She instructed the students to make notes about applying the theory to the film and novel before taking herself to the back of the hall and putting her head in her hands.

She was only allowed a few moments alone before someone sat next to her. It was Aurora.

"Hey, everything okay?" Aurora whispered. Emma shook her head and so Aurora took her outside. "What's wrong?"

"I can't stop thinking about Neal," Emma admitted after a brief moment of silence. Aurora's eyes widened.

"Oh Emma," she said, as she pulled her friend in for a hug. Aurora, Belle, Snow and Emma had remained best friends throughout the last 10 years. They had drifted over the years, but 6 years ago both Aurora and Belle had taken jobs at the university. Aurora was a lecturer of psychology, and Belle worked at the library. "What made you think of Neal?"

"I don't know," Emma said. Aurora broke the hug and looked deep into Emma's eyes. She was the one person who Emma couldn't lie to. "I met this guy on the tube this morning, and he was so nice to me. I haven't had a guy seem genuinely interested in me since… him," Emma trailed off. Aurora placed a comforting hand on Emma's arm.

"It's okay, it's only natural to feel that way. Neal treated you badly, and he definitely was only interested in one thing." Aurora was right; Neal did only want one thing from Emma. Shamefully, it didn't take Emma long to give it to him. "What was this guy like then?"

Emma told Aurora about the mysterious Killian and their meeting, and what happened when he left the tube. Aurora listened to everything she said, and laughed at the right places.

"You know there's only one thing to do, right?" Aurora said.

"No, what's that?"

Aurora smiled, "make sure you're on the damn tube at the same time tomorrow!" They both laughed, and after a reassuring arm squeeze, Aurora walked away. Just as Emma opened the door to return to her students, Aurora was back. "Just remembered why I came to find you. Snow's in town. She wants to meet us girls for dinner Saturday."

"Why's she asking now?" Emma asked.

"She needs numbers. Booking a fancy restaurant by the sound of it."

Emma hadn't seen Snow since her wedding 2 years ago. Wanting desperately to be with her girls again, Emma agreed and made a mental note of the time and place to meet.

After her chat with Aurora, the rest of Emma's day went smoothly and without a single flicker of thought towards Killian or Neal. After an hour with the second years, she had two hours with the first years. Her first years were getting an introduction into Shakespeare, and they were looking at Much Ado About Nothing, one of Emma's favourites. An hour break followed that, which was filled with paperwork, marking and a quick phone call. By 2pm, Emma only had one more two hour long class with her third years before she could go home.

Her third year Arthurian Literature class was by far her favourite. There were only 15 of them, and Emma taught all of them since they were freshers. This was the only class where Emma didn't have to worry about a structure because the students led it themselves. Emma was simply start the class by asking "what did you think of the book" and the students would do the rest. Debates would ensue as well as deep analytical thinking. Emma was glad that the students enjoyed the class so much, and the lowest grade that Emma ever awarded for this module was a 2:1 with 64%.

It was the success of this class that gave her the promotion 3 years back. Emma loved stories about King Arthur and she used the knowledge she learnt from studying Arthurian literature in her Masters to create the module in the undergraduate course. It was an option only open to third years and there were never more than 15 students on the course, but the students did well and this didn't go unnoticed. Emma was promoted to Head of Department after the first year of running the module.

Following Emma's good mood, she ended class early. The class had gone well today: everyone had read the book and had contributed something to the discussion. Reminding everyone about the upcoming assignment (a 2000 word comparative essay of two texts) Emma packed up her things and returned to her office. Emma had the next day off and so she needed to ensure she had everything she needed with her to avoid coming in on her day off. She grabbed a couple of textbooks off her bookcase and scooped 25 essays into her bag before locking her office and leaving.

When Emma left the building, she took off her coat and threw it in her bag. Considering it was nearly 5pm, it was surprisingly hot outside. It had been 7 hours since Emma and Aurora's chat and neither Killian nor Neal had ventured into Emma's mind. Emma crossed the campus, saying hi to a couple of students that passed her. As she passed the library, she caught a glimpse of Belle, but she was busy helping a student and so didn't see Emma.

At the campus entrance Emma had a choice; walk to South Kensington or get on the tube at High Street Kensington. Emma barely had time to exercise, and so she often opted for walking to and from South Kensington to give herself some exercise. Today she was in a good mood and so she decided to get on at High Street Kensington and give her an extra few minutes of reading.

Emma had just settled herself on a decent seat on the tube with her book in her hand, glasses on her nose, ready to travel back to 1665 when she saw him.

Killian. He was on the other platform.

Not giving herself a moment to think rationally, Emma grabbed her stuff and was off her seat and the tube in seconds. When she reached the stairs leading down to the platform he was on, she ran her fingers through her hair and made sure she had nothing in her teeth. She walked down the stairs and pretended to read, all the while ensuring she wouldn't trip over. She reached the bottom and slowly walked over to wear he was, still 'reading'. When she got near him, she waited for the right moment to breezily look at him. Their eyes met and she realised she'd made a mistake. It wasn't Killian. It was a complete stranger who looked bemused at Emma's clear disappointment. Emma muttered an apology and walked back over to her platform.

Goddammit, Killian, Emma thought.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 ** _Previous chapter saw an insight into Emma's work life as a lecturer as well as how Emma and Neal started out. This chapter will see more of Emma's life after she graduated university as well as a bit more about how Emma and Neal got together._**

* * *

Emma was practically kicking herself for her stupidity by the time she got home. Why did she let herself be like that? She ran over to a different platform just to see some stranger she had a two-minute conversation with. C'mon Swan, you're better than that, Emma thought to herself.

When she got home, she leant against the door and took a few deep breaths. Then she heard the familiar sound of paws running across the floor and her pooch, Pongo, greeted her. He was a gorgeous 7-year-old Dalmatian that Emma had rescued from Battersea. She named him after Pongo from 101 Dalmatians, the one and only Disney film she'd actually seen. She loved Pongo more than anything, especially the fact he was always so happy to see her. Emma collapsed on the floor and let Pongo lick her face.

"Hello my love," Emma cooed at Pongo. Great, she was even starting to sound like Killian, Emma thought. Emma stood back up and walked down the hallway and into the kitchen.

It was a quaint little kitchen with a country feel to it. She'd taken the liberty of ripping it all out and starting again because the old kitchen was hideous. In fact, she redid her entire home. She'd gotten the house cheaply because so much work needed to be done. It was a converted farmhouse with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a spacious lounge/dining room and a small kitchen. She was also lucky enough to have a big garden and to be within walking distance of a direct train to London. If she had used a company contractor the work would have taken months and cost a fortune, but thankfully Emma's old flame August did the work in half the time for half the money.

Emma and August were an odd couple. Emma met him at a bar after she and Neal broke up. She was in a bad state after the break up and she went to a bar to drink away her feelings. After a couple of cocktails and several shots, Emma had caught August's eye and it didn't take long before they were having sex in a bathroom stall. When they were together, all they did was drink and use each other for a couple of years until Emma got her act together. She'd begun to struggle balancing work in between her alcoholic, sexual tendencies and so she called it off. Harsh words were exchanged, but eventually they realized they actually had a lot in common. They became close friends after that, and it was August who offered to fix up her house.

Her kitchen was one of her favourite rooms in the house because she could actually use it. It had taken a few years to learn, but she was quite the dab hand at cooking and baking. It was a shame that she had no one to share it with.

Well that wasn't true, she had Aurora and Belle, but they were both in relationships and so she rarely saw them. Aurora was engaged to Philip, and they met a couple of years after Aurora graduated, and Belle and Will got together just before Christmas in first year. Alongside that, Snow and David moved in together in Surrey as soon as they graduated. Aurora came over a couple times a month, but she couldn't stay long because she lived on the other side of London and it took a long time to get home. The last time Belle visited was two months ago and that was just to drop off Emma's belated birthday present.

Scanning the fridge, Emma wasn't impressed with the little food she left for herself. Time to get creative, Emma thought as she pulled out bacon, mushrooms, courgettes, sweetcorn, and cheese from the fridge and then pasta from the cupboard. It took her 15 minutes to make an exciting dinner of pasta and cheese with salad bits, and it took 5 minutes for Emma to eat it. All the while she cooked and ate, Pongo stared at her. Emma had adopted him when he was a puppy, and they knew each other pretty well. Pongo especially knew when Emma was upset, and for that, Emma was grateful.

After Emma has cleared away her plates and tidied the kitchen, she took her stuff upstairs. Her bedroom at home was laid out the same as her room at Storybrooke halls, but over the years Emma had added more possessions. Emma took out her book and glasses, then hung her handbag on the back of the door and dumped her bag full of papers on her desk chair. Pongo had followed her upstairs and laid on the bed. For the first two weeks of adopting Pongo, Emma tried to train him to stay off the furniture, but she quickly gave up. Given all that had happened to her over the tears, she was always glad of his company.

Grabbing her RUN DMC baggy t-shirt, she walked into the bathroom and stripped off. Emma stood naked in front of the mirror. Emma was proud of the body she had worked hard to get, but she couldn't remember the last time someone saw it. She shrugged off that thought, gave herself a quick wash before putting on her t-shirt. She took off her makeup, braided her hair, and then climbed into bed. Emma read for a couple of hours before drifting off, her mind wandering to thoughts of Killian next to her.

Emma slept until 6:30am the next morning, which was an hour later than usual. Pongo had disappeared from the bed, presumably to get a drink of water from his bowl. Emma noticed she still had her glasses on and was grateful they hadn't broken. She sat up and pushed her glasses on top of her head. Then Emma realised she hadn't check her phone since she left work the day before. She grabbed her phone and laptop then returned to bed. A text from her phone company and one from Aurora was all that she missed. The text from Aurora read: _Hope you're okay now, Em. All set for Saturday night. Don't bail on us, we all miss you, A xx._ It was true that Emma had bailed the last couple of times, but it wasn't fun being the only single friend in a group full of couples. Upon opening her laptop, it took Emma half hour to plough from various emails from students and staff.

Emma sat back in bed and looked at the time. 7:01am. She thought back to what Aurora had said about meeting Killian again. She had plenty of time to get dressed and make it to the tube station, but the question was did she want to? Even more importantly, would she actually see him again? The fact Emma couldn't get him out of her head was definitely a factor to consider, but at the same time, Neal had crept into her head yesterday as well. Sighing, she pulled herself out of bed and into the shower.

She was out of the door by quarter to 8 with the intention of taking the day off. She'd worked really hard over the last few days, and she rarely got to treasure the Thursdays she always had free. Her plan for the day was to visit a few museums, bookshops, whatever she fancied. Not knowing when she would return, she took Pongo to her neighbour Ruby. Emma had also met Ruby at university, but she was a year above her and was a party animal back then. This changed as soon as Ruby graduated, and she opened her own pet shelter. Whenever Emma went off on an adventure, Ruby was more than happy to look after Pongo.

Emma had a plan. She would get to the tube the same time she met Killian yesterday. If he was on the tube, great, she'd get his number and go about her day. If he wasn't, then she would still go about her day. Emma Swan wasn't the sort of woman to let a man stop her from getting stuff done. Well, the new Emma Swan anyway.

On the off chance that she would meet him, Emma took extra care in her appearance. The weather was sunny today, but it wasn't going to be warm. She had chosen a yellow close-knit top, a dark pinkish patterned skirt, olive knitted cardigan, black tights and grey laced up ankle boots. Her hair was swept to the side, and in her bag she had her book and both of her cameras. She had an old film camera from the 80s, and a digital SLR that was only a year old.

Emma's love for photography was something she was encouraged to do by August after their alcohol and sex fuelled relationship ended. He told her to do something that was entirely her own, and she found herself indulging in photography. It wasn't long before Emma had saved up enough money to buy her own camera, and it took little over a year for August to convert the downstairs toilet into a dark room.

At 8:55am, Emma was at the tube station and ready to make her own destiny. She walked down to the platform and subtly looked around for Killian. When the train pulled up, Emma got on the same carriage as she did yesterday. But he wasn't there. Trying not to feel too disheartened, Emma planned to get off at Bank and see if she could spot him. Knowing that she would seem like a stalker, and that she wasn't acting like herself, Emma then decided against that idea. She stayed on the train until she reached South Kensington.

Emma had an amazing day to herself. She had visited both the Victoria and Albert museum and the Natural History museum before heading back on the tube and going to Camden Town. She bought herself a cupcake from her favourite bakery and sat on top of Primrose Hill, the view from which was another favourite of hers. After taking a few photos and eating her cupcake, Emma thought back to the first time she came here. It was after her first fight with Neal. Emma couldn't stop her mind from going back even further to her first few days with Neal.

* * *

Emma's first 'girls night out' was a success. She'd let her guard down and allowed herself to have fun with her new flatmates. They'd played three games of bowling, Emma winning the first, and then Belle winning the second and third. After that, they each ate a huge portion of burger and chips at the restaurant. Satisfied that their stomachs were properly lined, they arrived at the SU bar by 9pm and began drinking with the boys.

For the first couple of hours, Neal ignored Emma, too shy to strike up a conversation, but this didn't faze her. She spent the next few hours dancing with Aurora, taking silly photos with Belle, and downing pints as quickly as possible with Robin and Will. It was only when both Neal and Emma were completely wasted that Neal felt confident enough to approach her. He walked up to her and placed his hand on her arse, which both surprised and slightly aroused Emma. She looked up at him and smiled, indicating that she was happy with what she was doing. He whispered in her ear asking her if she wanted to get out of here and Emma agreed. Neal told the others he was walking Emma home, when none of them batted an eyelid, they all said their goodbyes. The two drunken students left the bar, but Emma was struggling to walk.

"Hey, hey, hey, Neaaaaaaal," Emma said, wobbling all over the place. Neal laughed at her.

"Yeah?"

"I'm gonna climb you like a tree," giggled Emma as she took a few steps behind. Neal couldn't stop laughing while Emma grabbed onto his shoulders and began to climb onto his back. It took her a good five minutes to climb. Neal then gave her a piggyback across campus to their building.

Neal put Emma down when they got in the lift, and he placed his hand back on her behind until they reached her flat door. Emma turned to face him, his hand still on her.

"You're beautiful," he said, and Emma could smell the alcohol on his breath. Being equally as drunk, it didn't bother Emma.

"And yooou're drunk," Emma said back as she pushed her hips towards him. This was all the invitation Neal needed. He grabbed her waist and kissed her. Emma returned the kiss, throwing her arms around his neck. Emma was getting incredibly turned on, and she needed him. She broke the kiss, fumbled for her keys and unlocked the door.

Once they were inside, Emma grabbed his hand and led him across the floor to the staircase. She walked up two stairs before turning to face him and kissing him again. Neal rubbed the backs of Emma's knees, slowly moving his hands further and further up her legs. He stopped to make sure it was okay, and Emma confirmed this by kissing him again. Neal pulled Emma close to him and lifted her up so she could wrap her legs around him. Emma could feel his excitement. It was difficult to carry her up a spiral staircase given the level of drunk he was, but he just about managed.

"What room?" he muttered into her neck in between kisses.

"That one," Emma pointed to her room. Neal carried her in and once they were inside, he pinned her against the door, unable to wait any longer. Their drunken state made it difficult to take off each other's clothes, but it didn't take long before they were both naked and Neal had torn through Emma's virginity. Once he'd taken her against the door, they both laid down in Emma's bed until they were ready to go again.

Emma woke up the next morning with Neal spooning her. Pain seared through her head as she suffered the worst hangover she'd ever had. In fact, it was the only hangover she'd had up to that point.

"Never again," Emma grunted. She rolled over to find Neal fast asleep. It took a few moments for her to remember how he got into her bed and why they were naked, a memory that made her blush. Emma didn't know she was that sort of person, but in a way she was glad. She really liked Neal and wanted as much of him as she could have. She just hoped he felt the same way.

A soft knock sounded at the door and Snow peered through. She was holding two cups of coco, and Emma motioned that she would only be a second. Snow shut the door, and Emma grabbed Neal's shirt and a clean pair of underwear. As she stood up, she saw a faint spot of blood on her leg. Grabbing a tissue and feeling slightly embarrassed, Emma wiped it off and pulled on her underwear. Snow was sat on her bed and Emma thanked her for the drink.

"So, what happened?" Snow said, drinking her coco.

"Well, we slept together. A few times," Emma said, laughing. Ouch, no, don't laugh, Emma thought. Sighing, Snow pulled out some painkillers from her bag and told her to take them.

"Hey, I thought we were going to question Emma together?" Aurora appeared at the door with Belle behind her. Snow motioned the girls into her room. It was only then that Snow could hear the sound of her shower running.

"So Emma's not the only one who decided to have a little sleepover?" Belle teased.

"Well David and I have been together for years. Of course we have sleepovers!" Snow laughed.

Apparently the girls' laughter had woken Neal up, as he was in the doorway.

"Morning ladies," he grumbled, a cheeky half smile on his face. The girls giggled and Emma stepped out of the room to speak to Neal. They shared a kiss of the same passion as last night. "So last night was fun," he said. Emma giggled again.

"Yeah, I had a good time," she said, playfully.

"Did you want to go out tonight? Once our hangovers are gone that is?"

"Yeah, that would be nice," Emma replied. She found it difficult to stop smiling.

"Alright, I'll come by later and get you." Emma walked him to the front door and they kissed one more time. The way he held onto her hips as they kissed drove Emma mad. After she closed the door behind him, she leant against it, accepting that the smile wasn't going anywhere.

* * *

Emma's phone buzzing brought her back to reality. It was Snow.

"Hey, Snow," Emma said.

"Emma! Oh it's so good to hear your voice! How are you?" That was a good question. How was she?

"Yeah, I'm good, how are you?" Emma didn't know how else to answer.

"I'm really good, thank you. Have I called at a good time? You're not at work are you?"

Emma laughed, "No, it's my day off!" Snow always forgot. "You'll never guess where I am," Emma said. For the next twenty minutes, the two girls bonded over everything they'd missed since they last met. Despite the rarity they saw each other, every time they spoke it was as if no time had passed.

Once they'd finished their conversation with the promise of seeing each other Saturday night, Emma found a genuine smile had grown on her face. Checking her watch, she saw that it had just gone 3:30pm and Emma decided to leave. She thought only of the adventures she and her girls had had since they became friends: memories that filled her heart with love and warmth.

When Emma reached the bottom of the hill, she walked over the road and through Regent's Park. It took her roughly half an hour to reach the destination her feet were taking her to: her favourite bookshop, The Beggar's Library.

Emma found this bookshop during her first year of university. Given that Emma had no money before starting university, she received every grant and loan available to her. As much as Emma wanted to buy all new books, she didn't know how long the money would last with everything else she needed to pay for, and so it was lucky when stumbled upon the largest second-hand bookshop in the country. This bookshop had every single book you could possibly think of. If you couldn't find the book you were looking for, Colette, the lovely woman who owned and ran the bookshop, was more than happy to order it.

Emma entered the bookshop and waved at Colette, who was busy on the phone. Colette was over the moon to see Emma and blew three kisses at her before returning to the argument she was having with whoever was on the other end of the phone. Emma walked past Colette and began her usual route around the bookshop.

The Beggar's Library was by far the best place in London. It was filled floor to ceiling with books, and much like Emma's office, it was messy but both Colette and Emma knew where everything was. It was dusty, the floorboards creaked and there were corridors that led to nowhere. The shop was spread over four floors, with more corridors, staircases and bookcases that anyone could count. Emma secretly thought that Colette had magical powers that made the shop bigger on the inside. It was this idea that made the shop more precious to Emma.

By the time Emma had gotten to the third floor, she had collected up five books that were piled up in her arms. She was edging her way across the classics aisle, hunting for the first edition of Peter Pan that she had hidden the last time she was here. Unable to reach the top shelves, Emma dragged an old footstool over and climbed onto it. She felt around the tops of the highest shelves of the bookcase for her book, but was unable to find it. Emma took books off the shelf and piled them up on nearby empty shelves that were few and far between. Eventually Emma located her book, but it was just out of her reach. She stretched up as high as she could and just managed to get hold of it. Fate allowed her a few seconds of celebration before the footstool collapsed underneath her, sending her flying into the arms of a stranger.

Except it was no stranger.

It was Killian.

"Really, love," he said with a cheeky grin. "Are you going to fall for me every time we meet?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 ** _So she finally find Killian, or rather he found her and she fell on him. Fate is an intriguing one, isn't it?_**

* * *

Emma was too shocked to laughed. He was here, in her favourite bookshop, and she was in his arms. Killian continued to smile at her and it was only then Emma realised she was just staring at him. He helped her stand up. They had a few seconds of awkward silence, broken by the realisation that Emma's books were no longer in her hand. She gave him a brief smile before she reached down to pick up her books. But just as she leant down, so did Killian and a loud thud echoed off the dusty books as their heads collided.

"Son of a b-" Emma said, grabbing her head as Killian loud out a pain-induced hiss. They both burst into laughter and collected up Emma's books. "Thanks," she said as she loaded her arms back up with the books before standing up. Killian was already standing and was holding Peter Pan.

"Peter Pan? Interesting choice," he said while he looked at the book.

"Yeah," Emma said, "it was my favourite book as a child." Killian chuckled. "What?" she asked.

"It was my favourite book, too," he laughed. Emma was stunned.

"I always routed for Captain Hook," Emma admitted, sheepishly. She remembered a time she told one of the boys that was with her in foster care and he punched her for being stupid.

"Aye, I get that. Just because he's called a villain doesn't mean he is one," Killian said. Once again, Emma was stunned. She scanned his face, using her superpower to see if he was lying. He wasn't.

Just as Emma was wondering what to say next, Colette appeared behind her.

"Sorry to do this, Em, but I've got to close up the shop. I'll put these through the till now," Colette said, and took the books from Emma's hand.

"Don't forget this one, as well, love," Killian handed over Peter Pan. Emma smiled, and they both followed Colette to the till. Seeing that Killian only had one book, Emma suggested he pay first, but he insisted that Emma went first.

Colette put the books through the till and the total was nearly £3000. The shock Emma felt was clear on her face and Colette explained that the copy of Peter Pan was £2700, given that it was a first edition. Emma's face burnt red as she quietly told Colette that she wouldn't be buying it. Emma paid £18 for the 5 books she picked up and walked out the shop without so much as a glance towards Killian.

How many more times was I going to embarrass myself in front of him? Emma thought as she power walked up the road and towards the tube station. Money had never been a problem for Emma; her job gave her a fair wage, but she was always cautious with her money. She would never forget what it was like to be as poor as you can be without being homeless, for she was poor her entire life, and so Emma ensured she had a safety net of money.

Emma was almost at the station, the sheer embarrassment she felt had developed into tears. She failed to blink them away as she looked through her bag, struggling to find her Oyster card. It was that moment she realised she'd left her books at the shop. She tilted her head back in defeat and sighed heavily. She turned to walk back to the shop when she slammed into Killian. He was slightly out of breath and was holding a shopping bag.

"Emma," he said, breathing heavier than normal. "I didn't think I'd catch you. You left in quite a hurry." Emma looked down to the ground, unable to look him in the eye. Sensing she was embarrassed, he handed her the bag. "You forgot your books." Emma took them; her eyes remained on the ground.

"Thank you," she muttered and she was just able to flick her eyes up to meet his and smile before turning back towards the station.

"I hope you enjoy them," he called after her as she descended down the steps. "I think the contents of one will surprise you!" She looked back at him to see that familiar cheeky grin on his face. "Enjoy, love! Until the next time we meet." He half bowed, winked, and left. Not entirely sure what just happened, Emma's eyebrows met causing a puzzled expression on her face.

Nevertheless, she went through the barrier and found a seat on the tube. She sat down, and looked in the bag. The train pulled away from the station, which caused Emma's mind to begin to analyse Killian's words. "The contents of one will surprise you," she muttered to herself. She thought about the meaning of these words all the way home.

Emma collected Pongo from Ruby's at about 7:30pm. It had taken Emma longer than normal to walk home, her mind constantly analysing those words and their entire meeting. Why that bookshop? Why that moment? Why those words? Why hadn't she asked for his number? The world had given her a second chance and she blew it. She got too caught up in worrying how he would perceive her rather than actually finding out if he cared. The fact he ran after her to give her the bag she forgot was surely a good thing. And he had said he'd see her around… Well he said "until our next meeting". What did fate have in store for her?

Pongo, obviously exhausted from whatever activities Ruby had done with him, went straight upstairs to Emma's room. Emma followed; her brain had chosen to ignore the rumbling of her stomach. She dropped her handbag on the floor, and sat cross-legged on the bed. She took out her books one by one and laid them in front of her. The first was Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy. The second book was The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England by Ian Mortimer. The third one was Brick Lane by Monica Ali; the fourth book was On Green Dolphin Street by Sebastian Faulks. The last book was Let The Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist, a book Emma wanted to put on the reading list for her Gothic Literature module. For a brief moment, Emma thought Killian was talking about the content of Let The Right One In. Emma hadn't read the book before, but she had heard it was a fairly shocking novel. This moment was cast out of her mind when she realised there was another book in the bag.

"Son of a bitch," Emma said, a huge grin spread across her face when she pulled the final book out. It was the first edition Peter Pan.

Emma couldn't believe her eyes. He bought it for her. Emma thought back to how much it cost, stunned he had spent that much money on her. Was he trying to buy her? Using expensive gifts to lure her to date him? Emma definitely would have thought that of any other guy, but Emma knew that Killian wasn't like that. If any other guy had randomly appeared in her favourite bookshop, before buying her an expensive book, and then chasing her down the street, Emma's mind probably would have screamed "stalker". But it didn't apply to Killian. Call it a sixth sense or whatever, but Emma just knew he was genuine.

Killian's last words to her came back to her mind. The penny finally dropped. Excitedly, Emma threw open the cover of the book. Nothing. Nothing after the first page either. Emma let out an agitated sigh. What the hell was he on about? Emma thought. She decided to give up. She put the book down on the bed and walked downstairs into the kitchen. Emma grabbed a ham and mushroom pizza from the freezer and put it in the oven. Then Emma had an idea.

She was up the stairs and furiously searching through the pages of Peter Pan within seconds. When Emma found the page she was looking for, she was able to solve the mystery of the riddle Killian had told her. On the page where the readers meet Captain Hook was a folded piece of paper. Emma took the paper out and unfolded it. His handwriting was beautiful it almost passed as calligraphy. The note read:

 _"_ _Aye lass, I assume you found this well…"_

Actually no I didn't, it took me nearly 3 hours to figure out, Emma thought to herself.

 _"..._ _It wasn't hard to guess that you were embarrassed you couldn't get this book, and I could see how much it meant to you. Please accept this gift and know that there are no attachments or expectations to come from this. Well, perhaps there is one. I'd like to see you again, if that were something you'd like. I have no intention in forcing a date upon you. My number is written below. Please consider us,_

 _Killian."_

Emma reread the note about eight times. She wasn't sure what she was more impressed with; the old-fashioned way he asked her out, how nonchalant it was, or the how quickly he'd written it. The sound of the oven beeper brought her back to reality, but Emma continued to read and reread it while she ate. Every time she got to the letter and read the word "us" a schoolgirl smile grew on her face.

Once Emma had washed up, taken off her makeup, and put on her pyjamas, she took out her phone and dialed.

"Hello?" said a familiar voice.

"Hey, it's Emma," Emma said. "Can you come over?"

"Of course, I'll be there soon." Emma hung up. She took a deep breath and waited for her guest's arrival.

* * *

 ** _Who could Emma have phoned? What are her intentions? Let me know what you thought of this chapter & what you think will happen next!_**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 **Last time we left off, Emma finally got Killian's number! She rang someone and invited them over… but who was it?**

Emma waited nervously. She was still cross-legged on her bed and was twiddling her thumbs. She'd never done this before. This was completely out of her comfort zone.

After what seemed like a century, there was a cautious knock at the door. Emma ran down the stairs and paused before opening the door. Emma's visitor was facing away from the door. They turned as the door opening, and Emma looked upon a face she hadn't seen in years.

* * *

Emma couldn't stop smiling. It was fair to say that she had fallen pretty hard for Neal. She ran back to Snow's room, her feet barely touching the ground for her excitement was too much. Snow, Aurora and Belle were giggling when Emma arrived. David had come out of the shower and he and Emma exchanged a "morning!" to each other. He said he'd make them breakfast, and left. Emma laughed and sat back where she was sitting before Neal left, and she did something she didn't think were possible. She opened up and told the girls she was finally able to call her friends about her night with Neal.

While she retold the story of how it went down between her and Neal, Emma was shocked at how unlike her it was to be this honest and open. Whether it was the fact she had friends to talk to about such personal things or having such a personal thing to talk about that made Emma want to talk, she wasn't sure. The girls were amazing listeners. They listened to every word Emma said and reacted in the right parts of the story. What Emma liked the most was they didn't judge her for hooking up with him so soon. They were all impressed more than anything that Emma had the confidence to do such a thing.

Following Emma's story of her first time, Snow told the story of her and David's first time. According to Snow, they'd been neighbours their whole lives. Both their parents had lived in the same house and so Snow and David grew up together. For a long time, they were best friends with no romantic attachment. They'd be together every single day, and after a few years, their families would spend Christmas together. Everything changed with David picked Snow up for prom. In England, prom is something that happens after Year 11 when the students have finished their GCSEs. Naturally, David had asked Snow and the moment he saw her in her prom dress he fell immediately in love with her. Or rather, he realised that he had been in love with her his whole life. They spent their entire prom dancing together. A few months later, David was given a truck as a present from his parents for getting his driver's license. David drove him and Snow out to the top of a hill where they could see the whole town. David then laid out cushions and blankets on the back of the truck. He played their favourite music on the radio, and they star gazed for a few hours before they slept together for the first time.

As Snow told her story, there was a part of Emma that was jealous that she didn't have a cute story like that. Snow's first time was perfect and romantic, just what first times should be. Emma dismissed this, knowing that everyone was different and convinced herself that her first time with Neal was special.

Aurora then spoke of her first time, which wasn't special or romantic. It turned out that Misthaven wasn't Aurora's first university. She was at the University of Weselton. She said that she hooked up with a guy at a party on the first night (Emma looked down in shame at that point), but the guy left straight after and without a word. He spent the next day spreading lies and rumours about Aurora and the stuff they had done together. Because of this, Aurora faced a lot of bullying and aggravation and so she left. Aurora said she didn't regret it because it pushed her in the direction of where she needed to go, as she believed that everything happened for a reason. Aurora's story made Emma's brief moment of jealousy just that: a moment. She trusted Neal, and he had asked to see her again. He wasn't like that boy Aurora hooked up with. He was different.

"So, are you seeing Neal again?" Snow asked, after Belle announced she was still a virgin. Happily though, she added with a smile.

"Yeah," Emma said. "Tonight, actually!" Snow excitedly clapped her hands together.

"We MUST get you all ready! We should go shopping, there's loads of shops for us to look around!" Snow said. They all agreed, and left to get ready.

When Emma shut the door of her room, she took a moment to think about everything that had happened. It had been just over 24 hours since she came to Misthaven and she had changed dramatically. Her personality had done a 180-degree turn. At that point, she wasn't entirely convinced it was a good thing, but she had to admit that it was better than being lonely.

Emma got dressed, choosing to wear black high waist shorts and her berry read jumper, and met the girls downstairs. David had cooked them a breakfast of pancakes and bacon. Emma ate in silence while everyone chatted around them. Belle was talking about all the books on the course that she had read, and Aurora was worried because she hadn't read any. Snow kept glancing over nervously at Emma, but Emma gave her a reassuring smile that she was fine. They said their goodbyes to David before heading off into London for a fully packed day of shopping. Emma was quite out of her comfort zone.

Emma hated shopping. Well, she hated clothes shopping. Snow must have made her try on every single item of clothing in all of the shops in Central (which is what the girls called London). Emma hated everything that Snow made her try on, driven by the overhanging fear that Emma was changing who she was to fit in at Misthaven. They were just about to give up, when Emma found the perfect outfit. It was in the window of a vintage shop and after Emma tried it on, she knew it was the outfit to wear. The outfit consisted of a tweed aline skirt, a blue shirt underneath and a white cable knit jumper tucked into the skirt. Belle found Emma a necklace with black and blue flowers on it, with a brown belt and bag to match. It cost £56 but Emma didn't care. They only had two hours to get back and to help Emma get ready.

They were back at the flat for half 5 and Emma get dressed straight away. Belle did her hair while Snow did her makeup. Belle put soft curls into her hair, and Snow added smokey grey eye shadow to Emma's normal minimal makeup. It was 18:55, and Emma went downstairs to wait. The girls stayed in Snow's room and put on a film.

After 20 minutes, Neal still hadn't shown up and Emma was getting worried. To save herself any embarrassment, she moved outside and stood in the hallway. By quarter to 8 there was still no sign of Neal and Emma had had enough. She knocked angrily on the door of his flat and was greeted by Will.

"Alright, Em, what's up?" Will said more happily than Emma was in the mood for.

"Neal. Where is he?" Emma said, trying to hide the majority of her anger.

Sensing her mood, Will stepped aside and said, "He's in his room. Up the stairs and on the right. It's the room on its own." Emma marched in and headed to Neal's room. David and Robin, who were on the sofa watching the rugby, exchanged looks between themselves and Will.

"I would not like to be Neal right now," Robin said.

Emma paused outside Neal's door. How was she going to treat this? Confrontational? Kind, then confrontational? Before Emma could decide, Neal had opened the door. He was in his pyjamas. He'd forgotten. This was obvious from the way his face dropped upon seeing Emma.

"Em, oh I'm sorry, I was asleep." Neal said, as he tried to give Emma a hug. She stepped away from him.

"What the hell, Neal?" Confrontational approach it was. "You asked me out on a date and then you bail? How could you do that to me?" Emma was fuming, and she forced herself not to cry in front of him. Neal looked down at the ground in shame. "I wouldn't have cared if you bailed on me if we hadn't spent last night together. You took my fucking virginity! Do you know how that makes me feel?" Emma's voice was getting uncontrollably louder. The front door closed, and Emma guessed that the guys had gone out.

"Emma, please," Neal said. "I didn't bail. Last night was too heavy for me, the drinkin'. I was real hungover. I didn't do it to hurt you." The softness of his voice made Emma feel bad for shouting. He stepped towards her and put his arms around her waist. "Last night was amazin'. It meant so much to me. I loved havin' all of you, and bein' with you. You're so beautiful," he said and he kissed her. The feel of his lips on hers made Emma feel stupid for shouting at him. They did drink a lot last night, and to be fair they didn't get much sleep. "Can you forgive me?" Neal said, with a cheeky half smile. Emma nodded and they kissed again. "What d'ya say I get dressed and we have that date?" Neal said.

"No, it's okay. We're both tired. Let's just stay in," Emma said. She put her arms around his neck. "We can order pizza, drink some beer, watch a film or two," Emma said, kissing him in between words.

"Hmmm, I'd like that," Neal said and moved his hands down to her bum, which he squeezed. They fell back into a passionate kiss and once again ended up in bed together.

Robin, David and Will came back into the flat and upon hearing the sounds of Emma and Neal (mostly Emma) having sex, they exchanged awkward glances before leaving again.

"What do you mean they're in bed together?" Snow hissed at David. The boys had taken refuge in Aurora's room. Fitting 6 people in a small room was highly amusing: Belle and Aurora were sat at the head of the bed with Snow and David at the foot of the bed. Will was sitting on top of the dresser and Robin was sat on the desk.

"We went back in a while after Emma finished shouting and heard them... Y'know," David hissed back. He wasn't sure why they were talking so quietly, but he knew better than to question Snow when she was concerned.

"He bailed on her and she sleeps with him? What the hell?" Aurora joined in.

"She obviously really likes him," Robin said.

"Either that, or he's great in the sack," Will said. Belle giggled, but stopped when Snow shot her a look.

"No, this isn't good. Why aren't you all worried?" Snow said, looking around.

"Why are you? Emma can handle herself, we don't know what's going on," Belle said. "She has a connection with Neal and if she wants to forgive him, then that's her choice. We shouldn't get involved."

"I just don't like this. I don't trust him," Snow admitted. "How well do you guys know him?" She looked at the boys. They exchanged looks.

"He was the last to move in, and now that I think about it, he didn't really have much to say," David said, his tone had changed to worry."That maybe true, but just because he didn't say a lot doesn't mean anything," Robin said. "Let's just see what happens. We don't know each other well at all, we all just met yesterday. Let's all just see if they want to hang out with us together, and let's all get to know each other." It became clear to everyone in the room that Robin would be the voice of reason in their newly formed friendship group.

Neal was snoring his head off while Emma laid on her back staring at the ceiling. She was happy she'd made up with Neal, but deep down she hated herself for being so easily led into his bed. It made her question whether it was right that she had gotten mad. Like she thought before, they didn't get much sleep. At most, they had about 3 hours, which isn't enough to function. Then again, if he had the energy for them to have sex three times... No, Emma, she thought to herself. You're being paranoid and overthinking. Just let it go.

When term started, the group hardly saw Emma and Neal. They were all busy with their studies: Snow and Belle were on the English Literature course, Aurora was in Psychology, Will was in Business Studies, Robin was studying Criminology, and David was in the Law course. Emma was struggling with English Lit and History; she found it hard to balance all of the reading across the two courses, both of which demanded different ways of critical thinking and theorising. And Neal refused to attend any of his lectures for Engineering. The first few months of university were intense for Emma but she refused to let herself accept it.  
Emma developed a coping mechanism for dealing with the stress of university: getting drunk and sleeping with Neal. This was something that started after Emma failed her first assignment. She turned to Neal for support and he told her to have a drink. That drink turned into two bottles each. She was still getting her work done, but she was just scraping the 40% pass mark. None of their friends knew this was going on, as they all spent their time in the library, lectures, or coffee shops.

It wasn't until they were a couple of days away from Christmas break that they all realised how little they'd seen Emma and Neal.

"So you know how you all said to me that I shouldn't be worrying?" Snow piped up one day. The six of them had decided to hang out in flat 13 with beer and pizza. Will had chosen to put on some comedy film that no one was really paying attention to.

"Frosty, let it go," Will said and he threw some bits of popcorn at her. He'd taken it upon himself to call Snow "Frosty" whenever she was worried, angry or annoyed. It usually made her laugh, but not today.

"Will, I'm serious," Snow said as she muted the TV. "We haven't seen Emma properly in weeks. Yes, she's been busy studying, but so have we all, and we've found time to see each other!"

"Snow, Emma's in a new chapter of her life," David said, holding her in reassurance. "She's got a new group of friends, a new boyfriend and her degree all to juggle. It's going to take some time for her to adjust and as her friends, we need to support that." David said, matter of factly.

"Thank you," Emma's voice appeared from behind them. Guilt spread across Snow's face. Emma was holding a suitcase and a large bag. She walked over and stood in front of them all. "Look, I know I haven't seen any of you properly, like Snow said, but this term has been really hard on me. I just need time to adjust. And Snow," Emma looked over at her, who refused to look at her properly. "If you were genuinely worried about me, you would have said something sooner," Emma said, coldly. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Neal let himself into the apartment and was stunned by the mood of the room. "Whoa," he said. "Who died?"  
Emma was still staring daggers at Snow as she said, "nothing. It's not important. Just people interfering." She shot one last look of death at Snow, who was on the verge of tears, before she grabbed her bags and walked out of the room, Neal's hand on its usual place on Emma's bum.

When the door shut, Snow burst into tears. Will and Robin took it upon themselves to move to the kitchen; they were not good at this sort of thing. Belle made Snow a cup of tea, Aurora gave her a tissue, and David hugged her. "She didn't mean it," David soothed. "She's under a lot of stress."

"I know," Snow said in between sniffles. "But I just know something's wrong." The six of them all exchanged looks, knowing that Snow was right.

* * *

Emma couldn't believe that Snow was standing in front of her. It was then that she realised how much she treasured their friendship.

"Emma!" Snow said, pulling her best friend in for a hug. The moment this happened, Emma burst into tears. "Emma, Emma, what's wrong?" Snow gripped onto her tighter. "It's okay, I'm here." They stayed in the doorway with Emma crying for a long time. It was such a long time that Emma almost forgot why she was crying and why she called Snow.

Emma pulled herself together and invited Snow in. They went into the kitchen and Snow made Emma sit down while she made them both a cup of tea. Watching Snow fuss over Emma was something Emma hadn't experienced in years. Snow was always like a mother to her, even though there was only a few years age difference between them. Snow sat opposite Emma and once they'd both had a sip of tea, she spoke. "Emma, what's happened?"

Knowing her best friend well, Snow prepared to give Emma all the time in the world to speak. She was pleasantly surprised when Emma replied straight away.

"I've met someone," Emma said.

In any other situation, or if it was anyone else sat in front of Snow, she would have said something along the lines of 'well that's no reason to cry!' But Snow knew what this meant. She knew what Emma had been through, and she knew the fears that Emma faced by getting involved with someone. And now she knew why Emma had phoned her so late at night and after so long. Emma needed Snow to be the mother she never had. A job that Snow willingly signed up for the moment she met Emma.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 **I thought it was about time I made Snow into a motherly role. The last chapter was quite long and I know I've spent a while talking about Emma's days at university, but it's relevant, I swear! Remember - the horizontal line indicates when a flashback starts or when we return to the present!**

* * *

Emma and Neal's relationship became more and more destructive as the first year of university progressed. Of course, they were both too drunk to realise. Neal had abandoned university and managed to find himself a studio apartment in a dodgy neighbourhood, an apartment that Emma spent most of her time in. Emma never questioned where Neal found the money, until one day when he came home with a sports bag full of cash.

"Neal, where the hell did you get that?!" Emma cried, panicked at the thought of what he did to get that much money.

"Emma, calm down," Neal said. He put the bag down and sat next to Emma on the lumpy sofa they both pretended was okay. "I've been doin' some jobs for this guy-"

"What kind of jobs?" Emma cut in. Neal took her hand that was shaking like a leaf.

"Don't be mad," he said. "I've been stealin'." Emma's heart skipped a beat. She knew they'd been rebellious, and it was a rebellion that Emma got off on, but this was breaking the law. "It's okay. Honestly, it's okay. I've never been caught, and I never steal anythin' that's not worth stealin'. I want to make a life for us, and this is the quickest way to do it." He couldn't look her in the eye properly. Instead, he used his hands to stroke parts of Emma that soothed her and made her fall under his charm. "I want a future with you," Neal said as he leant in and kissed her cheek. "Only you, only with you," he kissed her jawline and her neck. Emma didn't like it this time.

"No, Neal," Emma said and she stood up. "This isn't okay. You're breaking the law."

"No, babe, I'm not," Neal said. Emma scoffed in disbelief. "Okay, yeah. But don't act like you ain't done it before." There was clear aggression in his voice. But he was right. Emma did steal.

Growing up without steady money, especially during her teen years, made Emma angry and upset. It was a regular thing for her to go into shops and steal food, pickpocket notes from a passerby, or from the other children she was around.

"See," he said and he took her in his arms. "You get a thrill just as much as me. You want a future, right?" His hands cupped her face. Emma nodded. "Then trust me. I got this." He kissed Emma and waited for her to reciprocate before he pulled her on top of him.

Emma looked over at the bag of money. "How much is in there?"

Neal was unbuttoning her shirt. "Five grand," he muffled in between the kisses he was giving Emma's cleavage.

Five grand from one job? Emma was intrigued. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that Neal was stealing. And he was right, she did want a future with him, and getting money the usual way would take years. The thrill she used to get from stealing returned, and the idea that Neal was doing it to be with her turned her on beyond belief. She grabbed Neal's head and kissed him passionately, their tongues danced. Emma ripped off his top and threw her own on the floor. Neal turned them over so Emma was on the sofa, and he didn't bother removing his jeans or Emma's skirt properly before entering her.

* * *

"Who is he?" Snow asked gingerly.

"That's the thing," Emma said. "I met him yesterday." Emma waited for a judgmental look that didn't come. She forgot how Snow never judged anyone.

"He must be pretty special then," she said with her usual kind smile. Emma then told her about their first meeting, their second meeting, his note, the book he bought her. Snow beamed with delight. "He sounds wonderful! What's holding you back?"

Emma took a deep breath. Emma and Snow were close enough to tell each other everything, and Snow did know everything about Emma's history. Snow could read her like a book, and Emma ensured that only Snow could do that. It wasn't something she liked people being able to do. "I don't want him to know about… That," Emma finally said. Snow gripped Emma's hand and squeezed.

"He doesn't need to know on the first date," she said softly.

"But he does need to know!" Emma cried. "He needs to know because it might be the make-or-break thing that sends him packing. If I don't tell him right away, then we'll keep seeing each other and then when I do tell him, I'll have no doubt fallen for him and then he'll leave me and I'll be broken all over again." Emma said this in one breath.

"You thought about that from the moment you saw him, didn't you?" she said. Emma looked at Snow and was grateful for how well she knew her. "Yes," Emma said quietly. "And it's all I've thought about since."

Snow smiled, "it sounds like you've fallen for this guy."

"Yeah," Emma said with a laugh. "Twice!" And soon both girls were in hysterics; a moment they hadn't shared in years.

They laughed and joked until gone midnight. Snow said that she needed to get back, but Emma told her to stay over.

"C'mon, we haven't had a sleepover since my 21st birthday!"

"That wasn't a sleepover!" Snow laughed. "That was the four of us passed out in your bed because we were too drunk to get to our own beds!"

"Please? It's really late, and it'll take you an hour to get back home. Just stay," Emma said, smiling at her best friend.

"Alright, but I'm sharing your bed. I don't trust your sofa bed," Snow said as she walked upstairs.

"Yeah okay, but you'll have to tell Pongo!"

* * *

It wasn't until March when Snow decided to step in.

The six of them were at flat 15, having their usual beer and pizza Friday night when Snow heard Emma go into their apartment.

"I'm talking to her," she said as she stood up. David stood too and grabbed her arm.

"Snow, don't!" he said. "Leave her alone, she made her choice."

"Listen to yourself!" Snow cried. "She needs our help! I saw her grades in class, she's barely passing the course. She hasn't turned up for a lecture since before Christmas, and the one did she did she was too drunk to pay attention. This has gone on long enough, she needs an intervention," Snow said sternly. "And more importantly, she's our friend. Whether we've seen her often enough or not, it doesn't matter. She's our friend and she needs our help." And with that, Snow left.

She took a brief pause in the hallway before going into the flat. She decided her best approach was kindness, and then see if Emma will confide in her. She hoped she would, for Snow loved Emma dearly. Their friendship meant a lot to Snow, even though they'd hardly seen each other. In fact, the last time Snow saw Emma properly was before she left for Christmas.

Snow went quietly up the stairs, listening out in case Neal was there. When Snow got to Emma's room, the door was open a crack and Emma had her back facing the door, sat cross legged in the middle of the bed. Snow knocked on the door and walked in.

"Emma, hey!" She said, trying to be more nonchalant than she felt. "We're just at the guys' flat having some beer and pizza if you want to jo-" she stopped talking when she saw what was in Emma's hand. "Is that-?"

"Yep," Emma said through tears. Snow crossed the floor and sat next to Emma. Emma passed her the pregnancy test. It was positive.

"Oh Emma," Snow said, and she threw her arms around Emma. She tried not to act surprised when Emma hugged Snow back. She cried for what seemed like hours, while Snow soothed her by stroking her hair. "It's okay, you'll get through this," Snow kept saying. Eventually Emma calmed down. Snow wiped away her tears. "Have you told Neal?" Emma shook her head. "Is this the first test you've taken?" Emma stood up and Snow could see there were 4 other tests that Emma was sitting on. They all said positive. "Let me ring the doctor for you," Snow said. "We'll go to the doctor and then you can decide if you want to tell Neal. You can decide about the baby as well. Whatever you choose, I'm here for you," Snow said. She squeezed Emma's hand reassuringly and kissed the top of her head.

As Snow left, Emma called after her. "I'm sorry," Emma said through tears. Snow stopped and looked back at Emma. "I'm so sorry, Mary," Emma said.

"I know you are," Snow said with her kind smile. "But there's nothing to forgive." Snow smiled again and left to ring the doctors.

Emma would have felt better if Snow had screamed at her, but having someone that forgiving and understanding was something Emma needed now more than ever.

* * *

Having Snow stay over was exactly what Emma needed. She had Aurora and Belle, but despite them all working at the same university, they weren't as close as they used to be. Emma and Snow were best friends and Emma knew that they had been since the first day they met.

Emma woke up to the smell of pancakes and bacon wafting up her nose. Snow was no longer in the bed. Emma rolled over and her alarm clock said 5:46am. Driven by her hunger, Emma pulled herself out of bed, grabbed her baby blue dressing gown and went downstairs. Snow had laid out breakfast on the table: a huge stack of pancakes, a pile of crispy bacon, a pot of tea, two teacups, a bottle of orange juice, and a jug of water. Emma smiled when she saw the Snow had used Emma's favourite dinner set. She had her every day one, which was plain white, but Snow bought Emma a beautiful spotted dinner set when Emma moved into her first flat.

"Morning!" Snow said. Emma forgot how chipper she was in the mornings. The radio was playing smooth country music in the background.

"Hey," Emma said, sitting down. "You didn't have to do all of this," she said, gesturing at the amount of food.

"I know I didn't have to," Snow poured tea into Emma's tea cup. "But I wanted to, as a thank you," she placed three pancakes onto Emma's plate and about 5 pieces of bacon. "It's been ages since I've been able to cook for you, and I won't be robbed of the chance!" Snow filled a small glass with orange juice and gave it to Emma. She then sat down and sorted out her own breakfast. The two ate their first pancake in silence. As Snow picked up her tea cup to drink, she said, "so are you going to call him?" Emma glanced at Snow.

"Oh right," Emma said, completely off guard. "I think I should. Well I want to. But I don't know." She put down her cutlery and placed her hands in her lap. "He's gorgeous. He's charming, he's romantic, and fate has brought us together twice. Once on my commute and once in my favourite bookshop. I mean, even you don't know where it is!"

"I know where it is, I just don't go there," Snow corrected. "It's your special place and I'm not going to intrude." She gave Emma one of her signature 'mother' looks.

"Okay, but still. I can't help but feel like it was meant to happen that way. I want to get to know him," Emma was finally getting somewhere with the conflicting thoughts in her brain.

"What's really holding you back, Emma?" Snow surveyed her. "I know you want to make excuses, you can make excuses until the end of time, but that's not what's holding you back. That's your cover up for what's really the problem. Just tell me."

Emma took several deep breaths before she answered. "I don't want another child."

There was a moment of intense silence where neither knew what to say. The silence broke when Snow's phone rang. Emma nodded to say it was okay to answer.

"Hello? Yeah I'm still here. No, everything's okay. She just needed to see me. No everything's fine. David, she has work soon. No, David!" He hung up. "David's on his way over. I'm sorry, Emma, he just worries about you," Snow said as she placed an apologetic hand on Emma's forearm.

Emma gently squeezed Snow's hand. "It's okay, I'd like to see him. Maybe it'll help talking to you both about this," Emma said with a smile.

Snow changed the subject to talking about Emma's job, and Emma was more than happy to talk about something other than Killian. She told Snow about her favourite subjects, the students she liked the best, the presents she'd been given as a thank you. Snow could see how passionate Emma was about her job and was thankful that Emma was on the right track in her life. She cleared away the breakfast once they'd finished eating, overjoyed that Emma could not stop talking about work. Emma told her about the few times she'd seen Aurora and Belle and how they'd sometimes meet for lunch and a few times they'd had a heavy night at the SU bar. Seeing Emma have a passion in life made Snow so proud.

It was 6:30am when David arrived. David gave Emma the biggest hug she'd ever received; it was as if they hadn't seen each other in years. The reality was that it had been about 3 years, but it felt like it had been longer. David cupped Emma's face in his hands and asked, "are you alright?" Emma nodded, and she wasn't lying. Having Snow and David around made her happy beyond belief. It was like old times.

They all sat on the sofa and Emma relayed everything that she told Snow. She spoke about how she and Killian met, her worries and fears, and more importantly, she told David her real reason for not wanting to ask out Killian. "I know it sounds silly to think such a thing. We met yesterday, and I feel stupid to be thinking about our future, but there's something about him that's making me want to think like this. I don't want us to end up together and then for things to get serious between us and I drop the baby bombshell. I'm not ready to get my heart broken again." Emma was completely out of her comfort zone by asking Snow to come over so they could talk, but as Emma talked, she realised how comfortable she was around Snow and David. It was like they were the parents she didn't know she had.

David held Emma's hand and said, "if you're not taking a chance, you're not progressing in life. You can't just throw your hands up in the arm and surrender. The fact you're this worried about your future with him means that you want one. Take a chance. You'll regret it otherwise." He was right. She thought back to how annoyed she was at herself for not getting Killian's number after having a 30 second long conversation with him. Imagine how much regret she would be filled with if she didn't give them a chance.

"Okay," Emma said with a smile. "I'll do it." Snow clapped her hands together excitedly. She went upstairs to her room and dialled Killian's number. She took a deep breath and called. It rang twice before he answered.

"Hello?" Emma got butterflies at the sound of his voice.

"Killian, it's Emma."

"Aye, lass, I wondered when you would ring," his tone changed; it was happier than when he first answered.

"Erm, are you doing anything tonight?" Emma was shaking with nerves.

"Aye, unfortunately I've got to work. My boss gave me a case to look through and I can't be certain when I will be finished."

Emma was deeply disappointed, but she didn't let it distract her. "That's a shame. What do you do for a living?"

"So pertinent a question, so early in the conversation, Miss Emma. It's only 7am," Emma giggled at his flirtatious tone.

"7am? Holy crap, I'm late! I should have left by now!" Emma was starting to panic. "Killian, I'm sorry but I've got to go. But if you finish that report, give me a call."

"I would despair if I hesitated for even a second. Goodbye love, I'll see you soon."

Emma didn't have time to think about how disappointed she was. "Snow! I'm late for work!" She called down the stairs. Going into her wardrobe, she grabbed the first clothes she could find; a black tube skirt, black tights, brown ankle boots, cream cable knit jumper, and a green and blue plaid shirt. Emma brushed her teeth and grabbed her phone, make up bag and handbag and ran down the stairs.

"Snow, I've got to go to work," Emma said, her mouth full of toothpaste and salvia. "Can you lock up for me?" She spit in the kitchen sink.

"Yes of course, what about Pongo?"

"Drop him off at Ruby's. Do you remember Ruby? She lives next door, the one with the bright red front door." Emma ran her fingers through her hair, and flipped it to see if it would make any difference. It didn't. Emma groaned in annoyance.

"Emma, you look great. Stop worrying. We'll lock up, just get to work!" David exclaimed.

"Thank you guys!" She kissed Snow and David on the cheek, gave Pongo a kiss on the head before running out the door.

Emma ran to the station and just about made her train. She got out her phone and text Snow to say thank you for everything, and that she'll see her tomorrow night at the restaurant. Emma just about managed to finish her makeup by the time they arrived at London Liverpool Street. She was now on time and decided to get a cup of coffee. The queue was long and the woman took ages to make her drink and so by the time Emma had paid and had her coffee in hand, she had 3 minutes to get to the Circle line before she would miss the train.

"Oh fuck," Emma exclaimed. She grabbed her Oyster card and ran through the station, dodging wheelchairs, prams and lost tourists. her bag got caught in the barrier but luckily she was rescued by a guy that worked at the Underground. Emma ran down the stairs, and just made it through the doors of the train before it shut. She then turned around to find a seat when she crashed into someone at such force that her coffee cup split open and soaked them both.

"We really have to stop meeting like this," a familiar voice said. As usual, Killian was right there at an embarrassing moment.

I can't catch a break, Emma thought.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 **So Emma and Killian meet again, and as usual it was completely off guard. We left them covered in coffee on the underground, but we also saw that Emma got pregnant in university and something happened that made her not want to have any more children. Be prepared for more backstory but also for some Captain Swan romance!**

Emma had soaked Killian in coffee, which had ruined both his crisp white shirt and Emma's cream cable knit jumper.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry!" Emma gushed, helpless as to what she could do to rectify the situation.

"Don't worry about me love, this shirt can be washed. Your jumper needs seeing to straight away," Killian said as he smiled at her.

"It'll have to stay like this," Emma said sharply. "I'm late for work and haven't got time to sort it out."

Killian could see that Emma was agitated, a tone that made him want to help her. "My work is near Bank. There's a sink there where you can wash your jumper. Only if you want to, of course," he added, worried she would think he was pressuring her.

Emma sighed, "yeah okay. How far is it from the station?"

"Two minute walk," he smiled. Emma returned the smile half-heartedly. She had a lot of work to do, but she was mostly embarrassed that she had asked him out only an hour before and he had rejected her.

They travelled in silence to Bank and Emma cautiously followed Killian through the station. He tried to make small talk but after two attempts he could see it was pointless. He knew that she was embarrassed that he had rejected her. It wasn't that he didn't want to see Emma; on the contrary, he hadn't been able to get her out of his head since the moment they met. But Killian's workload was piled high and he couldn't sacrifice it for Emma, as much as he wanted to.

His work was only two minutes walk from the station, a fact that made Emma happy. She could sort her jumper out and get back on the tube and just about make it to work for her first lecture. She paused when she realised where Killian worked.

"Everything alright, love?" Killian asked, his concern clear upon his face.

"Yeah… Erm, I didn't know you worked for DeVil and Gold," Emma said, the colour drained from her face. DeVil and Gold was a law firm that Emma was only too familiar with.

"Well you never asked," he said with a wink. "This way, love," he indicated to the door.

Shaking slightly, Emma followed him through the glass doors. It was a magnificent building; it was marble from floor to ceiling, with an open plan reception area. If you stood in the middle, you could see up to the very top of the skyscraper building. There were soft leather sofas to the right and a cafeteria to the left. Shrubbery dressed the corners of reception, and large bunches of lilies gave colour to the long reception desk. Emma hadn't seen this building since DeVil, whoever they were, took it over, and Emma had to admit that she liked what they had done to the place. Killian had walked over to a security guard and Emma was too distracted by looking around to notice.

"Emma?" Killian called, and Emma snapped out of it. She hurried across the floor to Killian. "She's with me," he told the security guard, whose nametag read 'Felix', and Felix let them both through. Killian let Emma into the lift first, and he pressed for floor 21. Emma hadn't been to a floor this high before, and the feel of the lift made her queezy. They reached floor 21 in good time because Emma was close to vomiting. She followed Killian to the right and down a long corridor. Killian greeted everyone he passed and they greeted him in response. It seemed as though everyone liked him. They eventually arrived outside a door to the left of the corridor. Killian unlocked the door and allowed Emma to walk through first. She paused and looked at the name on the door.

"Barrister Killian Jones, Criminal Defense Counsel" Emma read off the door. "Jones," she said with a smile. "That's your surname?" she asked.

"Do I not look like a Jones to you?" he said, feigning offence.

"I didn't say that!" Emma said, also feigned offence. Killian smiled at her before setting down his satchel on the desk. He checked his phone and sighed.

"I'm sorry to do this, but I need to write this email and then you can get cleaned up," he said and gestured to the sofa underneath the window. He then logged onto his computer and began typing.

Emma liked his office; it suited him. He didn't have chairs in front of his desk, but instead he had a sofa and two armchairs that were similar to the ones in Emma's own office. He had his degrees and legal license framed, as well as framed photos with a man who Emma assumed was his brother. She noticed there were no photos of a wife, girlfriend, or parents. Killian had a large bookcase that ran the entirety of the wall behind his desk chair. Emma walked over and scanned the bookshelves. Many of them were books on law, law enforcement and law theory, but he also had the classics such as Homer, Thomas Hardy, and surprisingly, Jane Austen. Emma smiled when she saw the pirate ship in a bottle that took up the entirety of a shelf. From Killian's window Emma could see St Paul's Cathedral, the London Eye and even the Shard. Emma was so lost in this beautiful view that she didn't notice Killian talking to her. He stood behind her and spoke which startled her.

"It's a beautiful view, isn't it?" he said. Emma looked at him. He wore the same expression that Emma did every time she looked at London. She could see that he loved the city just as much as she did. "Right, shall we get you cleaned up?"

"I'm not sure," Emma said. "I think the coffee stain looks pretty good, what do you think?" Emma said, cheekily.

"I think that you might grow to resent me if I ruined your jumper and make you late for work," Killian said as he fought the urge to laugh.

"Good point," Emma said, and followed Killian out of the room. He locked the door before he led her away from his office and the lift and to a small kitchen area. He held the door open for her and Emma walked inside. Luckily there was no one else in the room. The kitchen area had the standard fridge, counters, kettle, microwave and coffee machine that every kitchen in every office had. The back wall had lockers that took up the whole wall and Killian walked over to his locker. He produced another white shirt identical to the one he was wearing, minus the coffee stain. He laid them on the table that was in the centre of the room.

"I'll try and say this without making it seem like I'm making an advance," Killian said. "If you take your jumper off, I'll get it washed for you," he said cautiously.

Emma was surprised at his chivalry. This surprise was magnified when Killian turned around so Emma could remove her jumper. It's only my jumper, she thought to herself. Why is he looking away?

When Emma had taken off her jumper, she looked down and saw that her shirt was soaked through, too. Killian noticed this too, and so he walked back over to his locker and produced a navy blue shirt.

Emma thanked him before asking, "two shirts in your locker? Are you someone who's always this prepared or are you just prone to having coffee spilled on you?" Emma laughed.

"A combination of the two," Killian admitted. "Although it is the first time coffee has been spilt on me by the hand of someone else!"

Killian turned on the tap and filled the sink with water. He then put Emma's jumper in the sink and began to scrub. Emma took this opportunity to get changed. She unbuttoned her shirt and sighed when she saw that her bra was soaked too. Making a quick decision, she took off her bra and stuffed it in her bag. She then put on Killian's shirt and had managed to cover her breasts with the shirt before Killian turned around. They were caught in an awkward moment; while Emma's dignity was covered, her stomach was still on display. She hadn't been this naked in front of someone for a long time. Killian immediately turned around and gushed an apology.

"Emma, I am sorry, that wasn't intentional." Emma could hear the authenticity of his apology in his voice.

"Killian, it's okay," Emma said, hoping that her reassurance was clear in her voice. She buttoned up her shirt and handed Killian her coffee stained one. "If you don't mind," she asked with a smile. Killian returned the smile and placed the shirt in the sink. It only took a few minutes to wash both the jumper and the shirt, and when Killian was done, he rinsed it off and put them both on hangers.

"Right, well they should be dry soon. Now, let's get you to work," Killian said with a glance at the clock. It said 8:38am.

"Shit, yes, I'm meant to be teaching at 9," Emma said, worriedly. Killian carried the two hangers back to his office, Emma behind him. When they reached his office, his hung them on his window. They then walked back to the lift and returned to reception. Killian walked them both outside and hailed a taxi.

"Misthaven University, mate," Killian said to the taxi driver and handed him a £20 note. "It's on me," he said, after he saw Emma's face.

"Thank you," she said, disbelievingly.

He opened the door for her and Emma had one foot in the taxi before he said, "Emma, I hope I haven't given you the wrong impression." Seeing Emma's face, he continued. "I have honourable intentions, but my work has to come first. I want you to know that I wasn't rejecting you. I would very much like to get to know you, and I hope that I will be able to," Killian smiled at her.

"Well, you've got my number," Emma said, flirtatiously. She loved the way he spoke to her.

"I'll ring you when your clothes are dry," Killian said. Just as Emma was about to climb into the taxi, Killian took her hand and helped her inside. At the touch of his hand, Emma was made breathless. She sat in the taxi and watched as he kissed her hand. "Until we meet again, Miss Swan," he said. Emma's heart was racing.

He stood back, shut the door and watched as the taxi drove away. He hoped their next meeting would be soon for he was quickly falling for Emma Swan.

* * *

It had been 2 weeks since Emma found out she was pregnant, and Snow had managed to get her an appointment for an ultrasound. Emma was still in denial she was pregnant, despite having all the symptoms.

It was 15:30pm and Emma and Snow were waiting at the doctor's office. Emma was eternally grateful for Snow's company, who had managed to keep a clear head. Snow had made the appointment for her, had helped her with the paperwork and let Emma hold her hand while they waited. Emma was shaking, she had never been through this before and didn't know what to do or what to expect. She knew she was pregnant, but she didn't want to admit that just yet. She wanted confirmation from something that didn't rely on her pee as a conclusion.

They waited for 10 minutes before the doctor called them in. He introduced himself as Doctor Whale and asked Emma to lay on the bed. Snow pulled Emma's shirt up for her, Emma's hand were shaking too much for her to do it herself, and Whale squirted jelly into her stomach.

"Is this your first time?" he asked. Emma just about nodded, too anxious to talk.

"She's a little nervous," Snow said, Emma's hand firmly gripped around her own.

"I can see that," he said, with a kind smile. It didn't have the same effect that Snow's signature smile, but Emma didn't care. She needed to know. He asked if Emma was ready and she quickly nodded. He then ran the probe over her stomach and pointed at the foetus on the screen. "There's your baby," he said as he moved the screen so they could see. Sure enough, Emma could see her baby. The sight made her cry. She knew she was pregnant, she had taken enough tests to prove that and this was the confirmation Emma was scared of getting. "You're 5 weeks pregnant," he told her, and handed her two copies of the ultrasound. "Congratulations."

Emma looked at Snow with worried eyes, but was instantly calmed by Snow's signature smile. "It'll be okay," Snow said. "It'll all be okay".

They left the doctor's office once Emma had the jelly cleaned off her stomach. They were silent as they travelled back on the tube. Emma wasn't paying attention to where they were, all she could think about was how she was going to tell Neal.

She'd been avoiding him since she found out, knowing that they would have ended up in bed together every night, something Emma wanted to prevent. They had barely spoken to each other, and Neal didn't seem too bothered. Emma told herself that this was the beginning of the end and she would have to have this baby on her own.

Emma was brought out of her restless mind when she realised where they were. Snow had brought them to Primrose Hill. They sat down, Snow put her arm around Emma and Emma cried her eyes out. They stayed like this until 9pm, half hour before the park closed. Emma had finished crying an hour ago, but she didn't want to leave. If she left, she would have to face Neal and she wasn't ready for that yet. But when Snow told her they needed to leave, Emma had no choice. Emma texted Neal to come to her flat and they headed there shortly after.

Snow stayed with Emma while they waited for Neal. He arrived an hour after Emma texted him, which didn't help with her nerves. Belle put her head through the door first to say that Neal was here before Emma said it was okay to let him into the room. He walked over to her, kissed her on the forehead before saying hi to Snow. Snow squeezed Emma's hand and said, "I'll be next door if you need me." She then got up, left with Belle, and closed the door behind her.

"Emma, what's going on?" Neal said, worried. Emma couldn't find the words to speak and so she pulled the ultrasound from her bag and gave it to him. He seemed to go through every emotion humanly possible before a smile broke out on his face. "We're having a baby?" he said. Emma nodded. "Oh my god, we're having a baby!" He repeated and kissed Emma. Despite how happy Neal was, Emma couldn't share the joy. She didn't want the baby, but she didn't have the heart to tell Neal.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

 **I can't believe I'm on chapter 9 already! Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me through this story and for all your reviews. I love hearing what you think of the story as it gives me to power to keep writing!**

 **Last chapter we had a bit of Captain Swan romance brewing, but we also learnt that Emma and Neal were expecting a baby that Emma didn't want back at university.**

* * *

Emma couldn't deal with Neal's excitement about having a baby. Emma was 18 years old and there was no way she would be able to raise a child. She wondered how long she could feign excitement for.

The next thing she knew, Neal was pulling her out of the room and downstairs where their friends were.

"Guys, we have something to tell you," Neal said.

"No, no, no, we don't," Emma stuttered as she struggled out of Neal's grip.

"Yes we do," he smiled at her. She didn't like the look in his eyes. "We're having a baby!" He beamed around the room. There was initial shock, followed by a gasp from Belle and Aurora. Then after they saw the look in Neal's eyes, they gave an unenthusiastic 'congratulations'. Neal looked around to see Emma on the verge of tears. He pulled her close, his fingers dug into her arm. "Smile, you've got a part of me inside you now." His cold eyes stared into Emma's terrified ones. If Emma wanted the baby before, she definitely didn't anymore. She was too scared to say anything, and so she put on a brave face that she was certain everyone could see through.

* * *

Emma was struggling to process what had happened. She'd split coffee on Killian, then went to his office where he cleaned her jumper and her shirt, and now she was sat in a taxi, that he'd paid for, wearing his shirt.

"What the fuck?" Emma blurted out.

"You all right, swee'heart?" the taxi driver asked. He glanced at her in the rear view mirror.

"Yes, I'm fine. Sorry," she mumbled and looked out the window. She then got out her phone and texted Snow to tell her everything that had happened.

She got to campus at 8:57am. She had 3 minutes to get across campus and to her lecture hall. She thanked the taxi driver and ran across campus. Students gave her an odd look as she sped past them, and Emma heard Belle shout her name. Emma got to her lecture hall at 9:02am and was shocked that it was empty. Most of her students rolled in between 5 and 10 past, but there were usually at least 7 of her students in the room. After she checked her watch, she looked up and down the corridor to see if she could see anyone. Worried that she might have the wrong room, she got out her diary and checked. She had the right room but the wrong day. Today was Friday not Thursday like Emma originally thought. She didn't teach on a Friday. Emma let out a loud, long sigh and threw her head back in despair.

"For once, I'd really like to not fuck up," Emma said aggressively. She threw her diary into her bag and trekked across campus to her office after deciding she may as well get some work done so it wasn't a complete waste of a day.

By the time the clock reached 5:18pm, Emma had marked 70 essays, timetabled study sessions for upcoming exams and planned two weeks worth of lectures. Her brain had officially shut down, so she called it a day. She locked away the essays in her cabinet, turned off her computer and light, and locked up her office. Her handbag was swung onto her shoulder: she usually had a large bag that held the work she needed to do over the weekend, but she had finished it all today.

As Emma walked back across campus, she smiled. She had a work free weekend ahead of her, something she hadn't had in months. Belle was just leaving the library as Emma passed. They caught sight of each other and greeted with a hug.

"Late for class this morning?" Belle said with a laugh.

"A class I didn't have!" Emma confessed. "I got my days mixed up." Belle looked quizzically at her.

"That's not like you. What's going on?"

Emma gave Belle the short version of her meeting with the mysterious Killian Jones.

"He sounds perfect! When are you seeing him again?"

That was a good question. When was she? "Well, he said he was busy tonight, I'm busy tomorrow night, and I didn't really ask when else he was free," Emma said, feeling stupid.

"You know what you should do," Belle said with a mischievous look in her eye. "You should go and surprise him at work. I bet he's still there."

"Good plan, but what will I do when I get there? Just say 'hey I hope you don't mind me dropping by, but I didn't know when I would be seeing you next so I thought I'd invade your work space'," Emma said sarcastically.

"Words to that effect but not in that tone!" Belle said. "Just say you're checking to see how your clothes are and if he was close to finishing his work. If he is, suggest going to a nearby bar, or out to dinner. If you make it into a big deal, you'll panic. It'll be fine," Belle said, and stroked Emma's arm in reassurance.

"Okay," Emma smiled. "I'll do it. I'll tell you how it goes!" Emma headed towards the entrance of campus.

"Good luck!" Belle called after her. Emma turned back and waved, before she sped up and walked to the station.

Emma stood outside DeVil and Gold for a good five minutes before going in. There was a lot to think about and she needed to make sure she was ready. She thought about was Belle said and Belle was right. If she makes a big deal out of it, she'll panic. Just go and ask about your jumper, Emma thought to herself. She walked up the steps and into the reception area. Seeing Felix the guard from this morning, she approached him.

"Hi Felix, I came here this morning with Killian Jones. I was wondering if it would be okay for me to go and see him? If he's still here, that is," Emma added, hastily. Felix said nothing, but he stepped aside and let her through the gate. She thanked him and got into the lift. Pressing the button for floor 21, Emma was impressed at her memory. She fiddled nervously with hair as the lift went up. Emma's feet took her to Killian's office, her mind too worried to pay attention. Before she knew it, she had knocked on his door and heard him invite her in.

"Emma!" he gasped when she walked in. She swallowed.

"Hi-" her voice was higher than normal. She coughed and it returned to normal. "I hope you don't mind. I don't normally do this," Emma looked around nervously. Killian propped up his left elbow and rested his head on his knuckles, as he carefully surveyed her. "Is my jumper ready? I didn't want to go home without checking," Emma said quickly.

"Unfortunately not, lass." He nodded at the hangers that were still on his window. "The shirt is almost dry, but the jumper might take a while longer. I'm certain you won't miss it this weekend."

"Oh, okay then," Emma said and she turned to leave.

"Was there something else, Miss Swan?" Emma got butterflies as he said her name. It was as if she had been charged with electricity. She turned back around and leaned casually against the doorframe.

"Yes," she said, fuelled with confidence. "How's the work going?" Killian smiled and looked down.

"Pleased to say I've just finished. Looks like it won't be the long night I thought it would be," he said.

"Good, 'cause I'm here to ask you out." The words were out of her mouth before she could think about it. Emma's words caught Killian completely off guard and caused his elbow to slip off the desk, sending his paper work cascading across the floor. "Tonight. To dinner, or something," she said.

Killian didn't expect that to be reason for Emma's spontaneous visit. Emma chuckled as his cheeks blushed.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you out?" It was difficult for Killian to hide the excitement and shock from his face.

"Should have known you'd be old fashioned, given the way you talk," Emma said flirtatiously.

"And how exactly do I talk?" Killian had regained his confidence. He leant back in his chair and rested his left ankle on his right knee, hands folded in his lap.

"'Aye lass', 'honour the force', 'I would despair if I did'. Honestly, you talk like you were born 300 years ago," Emma said, her tongue visible between her teeth as she smiled. Killian put his hand on his heart in mock hurt. He then stood up, crossed the floor and stopped in front of Emma.

"I happily accept on one condition," he said as he bowed his head. He looked deep into her eyes and said, "if you let me plan the evening."

"I know how to plan a date!" Emma said defensively.

"You know how to run into handsome strangers across London, I know how to plan an evening out," he said. The way they spoke to each other it was as if they were an old married couple, rather than two strangers that met the day before.

"Well I don't pillage and plunder on the first date, just so you know," Emma said. It was said jokingly, but there was an element of truth behind it.

"Well that's because you haven't been on a date with me yet," Killian said, suggestively. Emma could tell that it was said lightheartedly, but the intense way he looked at her suggested that he would have her if she let him. Emma raised one eyebrow. It was a look that no one had given her before. "Shall we go?" he asked. Emma nodded. Killian turned off his computer, grabbed his bag and coat, and held the door open for Emma. They walked in silence down the corridor, into the lift and outside.

The evening air was chilly, and Killian hailed a taxi. Emma got in first, followed by Killian. "Moorgate, please, mate," Killian asked the taxi driver. He got out his phone and used it for half a minute before putting it away. They made small talk during the journey; Emma often found small taxi awkward, but Emma was comfortable just being in Killian's company.

They got out of the taxi by Moorgate and Killian offered Emma his arm. She hooked her arm through his and they walked through Finsbury Circus Garden. Emma had lived in London for years but she hadn't seen all of it. There were always hidden treasures to be found, and that was one of the reasons Emma loved London.

Emma asked about the work Killian was doing as they walked to wherever he was taking them. Killian was working on a divorce case where the wife had allegedly been subject to all kinds of domestic abuse: physical, emotional, verbal, psychological, financial and neglect. Killian told Emma in hushed tones that he was arguing that it was the wife who was the abuser, not the husband. "A difficult and controversial case to argue," Killian said as they slowed down slightly. "But I'm confident I'll win." Killian stopped them outside a restaurant. "We're here," he said, beaming.

From the outside it looked like an old Victorian house, nothing special at all. There was an old-fashioned sign that stuck out horizontally above the door. Emma couldn't read it from where she was.

"Go on, love, read it," he said. Emma nervously walked up the steps. She looked up and could read the sign better.

"The Lost Boys," Emma read. She looked at Killian, a grin across her face. "What is this?"

Killian walked up the stairs to join her. "Now, that'll ruin the surprise." That cheeky grin was back on his face. He knocked on the door and it opened. Emma gasped when she saw what was inside.

It was a restaurant, but not just any restaurant. The owner had decorated the place to look exactly like the Darling house from Disney's _Peter Pan_. A woman in her early 20s dressed up like Tiger Lily approached them.

"Hi, welcome to the Lost Boys. Can I take your name?"

"Jones, Killian Jones."

"Well Mr and Mrs Jones, follow me," Tiger Lily led them through the restaurant. Neither Killian nor Emma bothered to correct her. Killian let Emma walk in front, and he placed his hand in the middle of her back. Emma got butterflies at his touch. Tiger Lily led them out onto a black iron balcony. They were the only guests, and the table was laid out for two. Killian took his jacket, draped it over the back of the chair, and held out the chair for Emma. She sat down and he took the seat opposite her. Tiger Lily gave them a menu each and Killian ordered a bottle of Laurent Perrier champagne. She returned moments later and poured them a glass each before leaving it in an ice bucket. When they were alone Emma said, "So this is what you were doing on your phone." She took a sip of drink.

"Aye love, I told you I can plan an evening out," he said. He winked at her before taking a sip of his own drink.

"And there was me thinking I bored you."

"You could never bore me," he said genuinely. He was wearing that intense look again.

"How did you find this place?" Emma asked as she looked around.

"Well, Miss Swan, if you remember, yesterday I told you Peter Pan was my favourite book. When I moved to London, I discovered the statue in Hyde Park of Peter Pan, the blue plaque outside the house in Westminster that J.M Barrie lived in, and I found this restaurant. When you asked me out I knew you'd love this place as much as I," he said. He looked her in the eye as he spoke. He wasn't nervous at all; he was completely relaxed in her company, something that made Emma ecstatic.

"Thank you, Killian," Emma said. "This is, perfect." She smiled.

Killian returned the smile and said, "This is only the beginning." They clinked glasses and took another sip. Killian topped up their glasses. Tiger Lily returned and took their order.

The food was incredible. Emma had ordered a simple bacon and mushroom risotto with garlic bread. She did give Killian a nervous glance before ordering it that made them both laugh. Killian ordered steak and chips, and they both shared Emma's garlic bread.

After they'd eaten, Emma excused herself to the restroom. After she peed, she checked her appearance in the mirror. Nothing in her teeth, her makeup still looked good, and she hadn't spilt anything down herself. So far, so good.

"So Killian," Emma said when she returned. She moved her chair next to Killian and sat down. Their plates had been cleared and two-dessert menu had replaced them. "Defense lawyer. That must be difficult." It wasn't a direct question, but Killian knew what she meant.

"You could say that. Trying to convince a courtroom that your client is innocent when everyone already thinks they're guilty is quite difficult."

"What made you want to go into it?" Emma put her elbow on the table and rested her chin on the palm of her hand. Killian smiled and shifted in his seat; flattered at the attention she was giving him.

The smile disappeared when he spoke. "My brother, Liam, was killed in his line of work."

"I'm so sorry," Emma said.

"Thank you, love," Killian said. He swallowed before he continued. "It was years ago. He worked as a police officer and had worked his way up to being a detective. He was put at risk by his corrupt boss that sent them all on a suicide mission. His boss pinned it on an innocent boy who had been working in the force for less than a year. I was a law student that was put on the case. No one cared about "conflicts of interest" back then, so it wasn't a problem for me to be there. His boss got away with it and the boy was found guilty of duty to rescue. Only I seemed to suspect the boss and once I became a defense lawyer, I found enough evidence to reopen the case and convict Liam's boss. That was about three years ago," Killian said.

Emma was stunned. She had no words. He had suffered a horrific thing for years and Emma wanted to comfort him but she didn't know what to say. Instead of trying to find words, she reached out and held out her hand. Killian looked surprised at this gesture, but took her hand anyway. He placed their interlocked hands on the table surface. Emma used her thumb to stroke his fingers. They gazed into each other's eyes.

When the moment became too passionate for Emma, she sat up but still held Killian's hand.

"So, how do you do it?" she asked.

"Sorry, love, I don't follow?"

"How do you convince them? I mean, there must be clients that are guilty as sin, so how do you argue their innocence?"

"Well, love, I struggled for years to find the best technique. Evidence or lack of evidence isn't always enough so you have to perform. You have to make everyone believe what you're saying. I discovered a technique about two years ago that has worked in my favour ever since." He paused to take a sip of drink. Emma was intrigued as to where he was going with this. He continued, "I realized that if you look at someone deep into the eyes" which he did to Emma, "you create a connection". He then took his eyes away and said, "Because usually when you talk to someone, even me now, you look at all different places". Then he laid his eyes on Emma again and returned to that slow, sexy voice had started to drive Emma crazy, and added "but like this, when I'm looking at you only to the eyes, it's like it's just the two of us, we're the only ones here. As if there's no one else in the room." There was a pause where Emma was completely captivated by the moment. He added "so when you are like that, even if you end up killing a person, or you're representing someone who is guilty, the person you're talking to is still charmed by you because by looking only at him, you made him feel important to you." He continued to gaze at Emma, who was stunned into silence. He wondered what was going on in her beautiful mind. Emma looked from his eyes to his lips and imagined how they'd feel and taste. Killian thought the same of her lips. They leaned in slightly to test the waters.

They were close to sharing their first kiss when Tiger Lily returned. Emma and Killian were brought back to reality.

"Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt," she said, but she didn't sound sorry. "Can I get you any coffee, desserts, anything?" she asked.

Killian coughed. "Miss Swan, would you like anything?" He held out the menu for her. Emma scanned it quickly before saying no. Killian also said no and gave Tiger Lily both their menus. "Just the bill, please. Thank you," he said. Tiger Lily nodded, smiled and left.

Emma moved her chair back round to its original position. She had completely let her guard down and had almost kissed him. She wanted to, she desperately wanted to, but she wasn't sure yet. He certainly knew how to charm someone, Emma thought. She looked at him. He awkwardly played with the coaster; he spun it around using his middle finger and thumb. Did she trust him? He said it himself he was a performer. He could bewitch people with his eyes to believing whatever he said. Was that someone Emma wanted to get involved with? She cocked her head to the left and looked at him again. He caught her eye and smiled. It was then that Emma knew the questions in her mind were her paranoia not actual worries. She was safe with Killian.

"So, is this it for the evening, or can I expect more?" Emma broke the silence.

Killian's eyes lit up. "Oh this is just the beginning," he said.

Tiger Lily returned and Killian paid for the meal despite Emma's attempt to pay for herself.

"Miss Swan, twice you have robbed me of my chance to ask you on a date. Do not rob me of another moment to show how much of a gentleman I am," he winked at her.

Killian put his coat back around Emma's shoulder and they left the restaurant. When the door shut behind them, Emma hooked her arm through Killian's and they headed down the road. Despite the chill in the air and being mid October, the sun hadn't yet set. Emma looked at her watch. It read 8:30pm. It was still early, and Emma couldn't wait to find out what else Killian had in store.

 **I'm going to be mean and leave this chapter here. I couldn't resist including the bit from OUAT where Emma asks out Killian. I love that entire scene, it's probably one of my favourite CS scenes and it needed to be used here. I wanted to give a shoutout to the person responsible for Killian's speech about eye contact and getting** **people to listen to him. Shira, (tumblr:** .com **) met Colin at Fairy Tales IV. She asked him about his audition and Colin spoke about the way in which he got into character. Check out her tumblr for the full details of their conversation, but what I've used in this story is pretty accurate, minus the fact Colin was talking about Hook as a pirate, not Killian the Defense lawyer. Thank you, Shira, for letting me use this in my story!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

 **Hope y'all enjoyed the last chapter. I won't dwell on a long intro, only to say that in this story Hillford and Warrington are two towns that are next to each other on the outskirts of London. Right, I'll continue where we left off: Date Night!**

 **(Warning: there are some events of violence in this story that may upset some readers. It's all part of the story, I don't intend to upset or offend anyone. Please skip the flashback if you think this'll affect you).**

They walked back through Finsbury Circus Garden. Emma thought about their near-kiss. Bloody Tiger Lily, Emma thought to herself, she ruined the moment! There was a colder chill in the air, and Emma shivered slightly. She shifted closer to Killian and placed her right hand on above Killian's elbow crease.

The sudden closeness they experienced made Killian smile. He smiled a lot when Emma was around. He weaved his fingers through Emma's left hand and held their intertwined hands against his stomach. Emma beamed at him, and they continued to walk. It was as if they had known each other for years and had been in love always.

As they walked they discussed everything: likes, dislikes, favourite food, favourite film, and silly traditions they had. Emma had a tradition of making pancakes and bacon every Sunday and spending the whole day to herself. She didn't speak to anyone, she was completely selfish on Sundays and that was how she liked it. She said that she needed at least one day to herself or else she'd go mad. Killian had a similar tradition; he spent every Sunday reading. Like Emma, he had a huge workload and so he gave himself a day where he could do what he wanted to do. He had other traditions like every Friday he would drink beer, eat pizza and popcorn and watch films, and that on the anniversary of his brother's death he would light a candle and drink a glass of rum.

They walked for at least half hour and the sun was slowly beginning to set. It was strange; the sun had set around 6pm every night for the last month, but for some reason it decided to stay out for as long as possible. Emma took it as a sign that someone out there wanted them to be able to spend as much time together as possible.

Emma recognised where they were. Emma looked at Killian, bemused.

"Are you psychic?" she asked.

He let out a hearty laugh. "What makes you ask that?"

"This is where I go when I- this is my happy place!" Emma blurted out.

"Well, Miss Swan," he opened the gate to the park and let her through first. "It seems we have much more in common than we initially realised." That was an understatement, Emma thought. They linked back together and walked up the hill.

They went past Emma's usual spot and walked further than Emma had gone before. There was a bandstand at the top and when Emma and Killian stood on it, the view across London was breathtaking. She could see all across London as far as she was able to. She could make out the majority of the famous landmarks of the City. How she had never come across the view before astounded her, but that didn't matter now. It was her new favourite view. The setting sun turned the sky into a beautiful burst of colour. It retained its blue colour, but shades of pink and orange spread out like a paroxysm across the sky. It was spectacular.

Killian stood beside Emma and wound his right arm around her waist. She held his hand and took in the view for a few moments longer. Killian couldn't wait though.

"Emma," he whispered alluringly into her ear. Emma turned her head to face Killian. They didn't need a build up or to say anything else. Killian cupped one side of her face with his hand and he leaned in. Emma closed her eyes and met his lips with a kiss. It was soft and gentle but full of desire, wondering, and longing. The kiss spoke volumes: every worry that Emma had surrounding Killian vanished. She was ready to embrace everything that would follow the kiss. They parted lips and their tongues touched as they tested the boundaries. Both Killian and Emma sensed the deepness the kiss was headed, and Killian pulled Emma in close. She snaked her arms around his neck, the stubble on his cheeks tickled through her shirtsleeves. His hair felt delicate as Emma ran her fingers through it. Killian's hands travelled up her back and around to her torso as he held her tight; he had no intention of letting her go any time soon.

The kiss quickly became passionate and desperate. The connection between them had long been made and both wanted more. Killian broke away first and traced kisses along her jaw and down her neck. Emma's breathing intensified, and she gripped onto the back of Killian's neck. The sound of Emma's rapid breathing turned Killian on and he wished they were at her place or his own. He wanted this as much as she did, but not like this. He stopped and stepped back a few paces. He gripped the railings of the bandstand and breathed deeply until he had calmed himself. Emma leant back on the railings and calmed her breathing too.

"I'm sorry, love," Killian said quietly. "I had no intention of letting it get that far."

"It's okay," Emma said. She had no other words to say. It did get passionate and Emma felt how much Killian enjoyed the kiss, but despite what had happened over the last two days, they were still strangers.

Killian felt ashamed. He wanted to control himself but he was falling for her. He needed to rectify the situation and ensure she knew he didn't bring her here to have his way with her. "Emma, please allow me to explain myself," he said, still unable to look at her. Emma's heart began to race. "My intention for bringing you up here was to share with you a very personal place to me. Like you have your bookshop as well as this park, this is my happy place. This bandstand here." Killian knew that if he let his guard down and allowed himself to be vulnerable, she would see him for who he truly was. "I came here after Liam died and I slept here for two days. It was during Christmas and no one wanted to bother me. I would come here and speak to the thin air as if Liam was stood before me. It helped me get through what had happened." He turned to face Emma, who had a worried look on her face. "My reasoning for this confession is because I want you to know me. After I told you the story of Liam, I felt this desire to let you know more about me. I brought us here so you would be there with me. I didn't want to talk about it anymore, I simply wanted to stand here and look over the City with you."

Emma could see how hard this was for him, but it was unnecessary. She never questioned his motives nor did she think any less of him. Emma walked over to him, placed her hands either side of his face and kissed him. It was a gentle kiss and it was enough for Killian to know that Emma was okay. Night had fallen but the sky had retained its pinkish hue. The tall skyscrapers illuminated the city.

"While I am enjoying this night and this view with you, Miss Swan, we really must be going," Killian offered her his arm and they walked down the hill and out of the gate. They walked along the edge of the park and Killian managed to find a vacant taxi. "Miss Swan, please let me know the second you get home so I know you are safe," he said as he opened the door.

Emma was disappointed the night was ending so soon, but she had a feeling Killian didn't want to stick around any longer. She wanted to make one last attempt to spend time with him. "Well where are you headed?" Emma asked. That was something neither of them had discussed.

"Hillford," Killian said, "it's about a-"

Emma cut him off. "I know where it is, I live nearby!" Emma exclaimed. How much more were they going to have in common?

"Oh," Killian said happily. "Well in that case, I should like to share this taxi with you, if that pleases m'lady," Killian kissed her hand and bowed mockingly. His tone had improved, both glad the night was not over yet. Emma giggled and climbed into the taxi, followed by Killian. Emma gave the driver her address after Killian insisted, as he wanted to ensure she got home safely. Once they'd buckled their seatbelts, Emma crept her hand over to his and held on.

During the journey, which was only 20 minutes, they spoke little except to discuss their plans for the weekend. Emma spoke about the work she'd done that day and how much she was looking forward to a quiet, work-free weekend. Killian explained that there was no such thing as a work-free weekend for a defense lawyer, something that made them both burst into laughter.

The taxi pulled up outside Emma's house and she prayed that Snow and David had gone home. It suddenly dawned on her that Ruby still had Pongo, and a wave of guilt washed over her. Killian got out of the taxi first, held the door open and Emma's hand as she climbed out of the taxi. Emma glanced at the house. The usual lamp in the window was on and the curtains were shut. She looked at Ruby's; her house was dark, which meant there was a high probability she was already asleep.

"Will you walk me to my door?" Emma asked. Killian was startled.

"Do you want me to wait?" the taxi man called out.

Emma looked into Killian's eyes as she spoke. "No, it's okay, thank you." She smiled; her eyes told Killian what she wanted. Killian half smiled, uncertain of what to think, as Emma walked past and paid for the taxi. She shut the door and held Killian's hand. They walked in silence up the stairs. Killian's heart raced so fast his chest moved. Emma unlocked the door and led him in. Killian stopped in the doorway.

"Would you like to come in?" she asked.

* * *

Emma couldn't take much more of this. It had been 3 months since Neal outed her pregnancy to her friends.

Neal changed dramatically when he found out Emma was pregnant. He had become more frightening as the days went on. When they were out with friends, he would put on a show and pretend to be happy, smiley, and in love with Emma. The reality was when they returned to Neal's apartment, he was a completely different person. He made her stay at his apartment every night and he only allowed her to return to her flat when he was with her. Even then, the visits were short and limited to Emma grabbing some clothes and a quick chat with the girls. Neal had begun to search through Emma's phone every night and argued with her when he found a text he didn't like. He spent his time either drunk or stealing. Emma put on a brave face, as she always did, but she knew it wouldn't be long before the baby was here. She wanted to be as far away from Neal as possible when that happened.

Emma was in front of the mirror with her top rolled up. She stood to the side so she could see how big the bump had grown. She ran her hands over it; even after all these months she didn't hadn't processed it. She desperately wanted to talk to Snow, but Neal refused to let her go anywhere on her own. Her own boyfriend, someone who was supposed to love her, had trapped her. Then something dawned on her, something that she should have realised months ago. Neal never told her he loved her.

Emma broke down in tears, ashamed and distraught over what she had let happen. He was still a stranger to her, even after all these months. She had his baby in her stomach and she felt violated. Emma loved him, she had told him and that love had blinded her so much that she couldn't see he didn't reciprocate.

It was fight or flight time, Emma thought. She checked the time; Neal wouldn't be home for another hour. She scanned the apartment and was thankful that Emma had taken most of her things back to her flat a few days before. Emma grabbed her tattered rucksack and stuffed it full of all the possessions that she had in that apartment. She barely had anything, just a few clothes, a couple of books, her elephant and her phone. Her laptop and all her books were back at her apartment, as she had finished her last assignment two weeks ago. After checking and double-checking several times, she was satisfied she had everything. She was about to leave when she heard Neal. In a panic, she badly hid her rucksack under her jacket on the floor by the door. She sat down on the bed and pretended to read.

Neal crashed through the door, drunk out of his mind. He saw Emma on the bed and wobbled over to her. "Hey beautiful," he said, his breath stunk of cheap vodka. Emma winched which angered him. "Whassa matter?" he yelled. "You're never happy to see me. Whass your problem, Em-em-Emma." His intoxicated mind struggled to produce coherent sentences. He tried to kiss her but she moved away.

"Neal," she mumbled as she struggled to get him off her. "Neal, stop, you're drunk. Please, stop." He held her near him and kissed her cheek, lips, and neck.

"Emma, I want you," he muffled. He laid her back on the bed, his weight on top of her and kissed her again. Emma started to cry. He reached his hand down the front of her jeans for a second before Emma used all of her strength to shove him off her. He flopped onto the bed like a dead weight and Emma scrambled to stand up. Neal took a second to register what had happened before he too was on his feet. He looked at Emma with a murderous rage and crossed the floor in seconds to confront her. Emma's hands gripped around her stomach instinctively.

"What the FUCK, Emma?" he screamed in her face. "I am your BOYFRIEND and you WILL fuck me." Emma screwed her face up and cried. Emma had never been so scared before in her life. She needed to escape but she knew she couldn't risk it without hurting the baby. "I want YOU, do you hear me? You don't see me fucking other girls, DO YOU?" his volume changed as he yelled. His last words struck Emma like a chord.

"But you have, haven't you?" Emma shouted back. She had found that fighting voice she grew up with. Neal looked bewildered. "Of course you have," Emma continued, her voice still raised. "You think I can't tell what you've done when you've been out? I shagged you every day and night for months, you think I can't tell when you've been getting it from someone else?" Neal still had the murderous rage in his eyes, but Emma wasn't frightened anymore. She held onto her bump as she spoke. "I never wanted this baby. You made me keep it. I wanted to get rid of it, and I wish I did because I refuse to give birth to anything that possesses any part of YOU." She could see her words hurt him, but she wasn't finished. "We're done, Neal. We're DONE." Emma glared at him one last time before she grabbed her rucksack and jacket. She gave one last glare at Neal and then she slammed the door.

Her legs moved quickly along the corridor and she pressed for the lift. She knew she only had seconds before he would come after her, and so when the lift opened, she stepped inside and pressed the ground floor. A rage-filled roar erupted from Neal's apartment, and she slipped out of the lift and through the doors to the left. She rushed down the stairs as quietly but quickly as she could. She heard Neal pressing the button to call the lift, which gave her time to get down the stairs. Unfortunately, she didn't move quickly enough. The doors above her slammed against the walls as Neal charged through them. Emma tried to get through the doors in front of her but Neal had her pinned by her throat against the wall before she could. She tried to fight him off, but she had used the last of her energy getting down the stairs.

"You don't get to decide WHEN we're done," He yelled at her. "Only I get to decide that!" He looked at her with disgust. "You filthy whore, you think I ever wanted you? You were just some dumb fresher who wore her childhood issues on her sleeve. I knew I could get you into bed easily, and I used you until someone better came along. You're nothing, Emma Swan. You're nothing!"

Someone grabbed Neal and threw him off her. Emma didn't have time to see who it was and so she ran down the stairs. She made it down two stairs before she turned to face Neal who wore an evil grin as he pushed her down the stairs. Emma tumbled down what felt like a thousands stairs. She cried out in pain with every step she hit, which felt like someone had taken a hammer to her. Emma was knocked out the second she hit the concrete floor.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

 **So I left y'all with a bit of a cliffhanger! I'm sorry for not updating sooner, but I had a wedding this weekend and didn't have a chance to upload anything! So here it is, chapter 11. Please review and enjoy!**

Emma woke up screaming the next morning due to a searing pain shooting through her head. She clutched her head and saw the hospital band on her wrist. Confused, she looked around and saw she was at a hospital.

"Hello?!" She cried out, the fear clear in her voice. Two nurses and a doctor came through the door; the doctor whispered something at the nurses and they left.

"Miss Swan, my name is Doctor Zelena Mills," the doctor said as she closed the door and crossed the room. She stood next to Emma, whose heart was beating so fast it was surprising the doctor couldn't hear it. "I want you to know that you're in safe hands and you will be able to leave in the next few days." She tried to reassure Emma with a smile, but it wasn't working.

"What the hell is going on? Where am i?" Emma demanded. The pain in her head was still too much and Emma cried out in pain again. Doctor Mills opened the door and called to someone down the hall that she needed painkillers.

"Miss Swan, you're in hospital. You were admitted yesterday late afternoon. Do you remember what happened?"

Emma racked her brains. "No, I don't know! My head hurts, I can't think!" Emma cried, close to tears.

Doctor Mills left and returned seconds later with painkillers and a cup of water. She told Emma to take them and drink slowly. Once Emma had taken the painkillers, she remembered what had happened.

"I-I fell down the stairs," Emma said, questioning her own memory. "No. I was pushed-" It all came flooding back to her. Neal, the argument, the saviour, the push… "Oh my god, my baby! How is my baby?" Emma said as she grabbed her stomach. Doctor Mills looked to the ground before answering.

"Miss Swan, I'm so sorry. The damaged caused by your fall was too much. You were knocked out instantly and the impact of hitting the concrete caused you to have a miscarriage." Doctor Mills spoke in a soft tone.

Emma burst into tears. She didn't know what to think. It was true that she never wanted the baby, but she had a plan to give birth and put him or her up for adoption. It wasn't supposed to happen like this.

"Miss Swan, if you don't mind, I need to talk you through the next stages." Emma was barely listening as Doctor Mills informed her of what needed to happen next. When she realised Emma wasn't listening, she told her that she'd send her an information pack that she can read in her own time.

"I'll leave you to rest, Miss Swan." She turned to leave and made it halfway through the door before Emma called her back.

"Who rescued me? From Neal?" Emma asked.

Doctor Mills smiled, "he's in reception, if you'd like to meet him?" Emma nodded and it took 10 minutes before Emma was faced with her saviour.

He was tall, with a full, dark beard and waved hair that parted at the side and fell over his forehead. He was dressed in a dark grey suit, white shirt, and matching dark grey tie. He had his hands in his pockets and had a shy disposition about him.

"Miss Swan?" he asked, the faint hint of an Irish accent escaped his lips.

"Yes?" Emma said, nervously.

"My name's DCI Graham Humbert, I work with the Metropolitan Police." Emma's heart, which had just begun to calm down, began to race once again. "I heard you wanted to meet your saviour?" Emma laughed in disbelief.

"You saved me?"

"Yes, Miss Swan. A neighbour heard the argument between yourself and Mr Cassidy. We were called to the scene, as it was a suspected domestic violence case. I'm glad I did response, DCI's aren't normally involved in DV cases. If I didn't respond, I'm not sure I would have found you in time."

Emma couldn't believe it. "Wait," she said. "'Mr Cassidy'?" she asked. "How do you know his name?"

"Miss Swan, I arrested Mr Cassidy after he pushed you. He's been charged with numerous offences."

* * *

The cold air nipped at Killian's face and brought him back to reality. Had he misheard her?

"Would you like to come inside?" Emma said, her eyes fixed on his.

Yes, would be the answer Killian wanted to say, but did she actually want that? She had sent the taxi on his way, she had invited him in, and maybe she did want it?

"Yes, Miss Swan," Killian said. Emma stepped aside and let him through the door. She took his jacket and hung it on the coat stand near the door. Taking his hand, she led him through the hallway and into the kitchen.

"Would you like tea, coffee, or perhaps something stronger?" Emma asked while she searched the cupboard. She pulled out a bottle of rum. "I've got some rum?"

"Thank you, Emma, rum would be great," Killian said, a bag of nerves. Emma poured rum into two tumblers and handed one to Killian. Their fingers touched and Killian dropped his tumbler. It smashed as soon as it hit the floor sending shards of glass in all directions. "I apologise Emma, I don't know what came over me." Killian blurted out as he dropped to the floor and began collecting glass fragments.

"It's okay!" Emma sang, and she grabbed a tea towel to put the fragments in.

"No, it's not, I should have been more careful," Killian said, not looking Emma in the eye. Emma squatted down to Killian's height and she noticed he was close to tears.

She reached out her hand and touched his forearm, "Killian-" she said and Killian jumped at her touch and cut his hand. "Oh god, come here," Emma said and she took Killian over to the sink where she wrapped up his hand and made him hold it above his head. "Now stay there while I clean up the kitchen," she said with a smile. While she picked up the pieces of glass, her mind began to wander. Did she do something wrong? Emma questioned herself. Why was he acting this way? Did he not want to come in? Had she pushed him? These questioned raced around Emma's mind.

Killian stood facing the kitchen window and looked out into Emma's garden. He wondered how many evenings Emma had spent on her hammock reading, or wrapped up in a blanket in front of the fire pit. He thought about how much he wanted to do those things with Emma and how ready for it he was. He was nervous before, the touch of Emma's fingers caused him to drop his glass, but the thought of being cuddled up next to her changed that. This wouldn't end up being a one-night stand. This was something much more.

He turned around to see Emma had finished sweeping up the glass. She emptied it into the bin and faced Killian. He could see that she was upset, and he knew it was his fault. But he was going to fix that.

Emma's heart skipped a beat as Killian crossed the kitchen, cupped her face with his hands and kissed her. The kiss exposed everything; their passion for each other, their newly developed feelings, and their desire for more. Emma grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him in tighter. Their tongues met and danced with each other as Emma's arms travelled up and around Killian's neck. Killian he lifted Emma, her legs instinctively around his waist as he carried her to the counter behind her, not breaking their kiss. Killian ran his hands up and down her thigh; Emma's hands in his hair. He broke the kiss, and kissed her cheeks, her jaw, and her neck. Once again, Emma's breathing escalated and the sound of it encouraged Killian. His hands trailed under her shirt and he stroked her back. The fact Emma wasn't wearing a bra underneath Killian's shirt she had borrowed turned him on even more. He kissed her again, with more passion and furiousness. Emma undid his tie and threw it behind Killian. She kissed his neck and unbuttoned his shirt. She pushed his shirt off his shoulders and it fell to the floor. Their eyes met and they knew what would happen next.

Emma hopped down from the counter and took Killian's hand. They walked a few paces into the hallway before Emma pulled him back in for a kiss. There was no time to go upstairs and Killian took Emma to the sofa. He sat down with her straddling him and they kissed again. His hands trailed up her back and around to her waist as Emma softly moaned in his ear. Killian unbuttoned her shirt slowly, kissing her neck gently as Emma gripped the sofa. She could feel his excitement underneath her and that was too much.

Emma's mind couldn't settle. Emma opened her eyes and couldn't cope anymore. Killian had finished unbuttoning her shirt and was about to pull it off her when he realised she had stopped breathing.

"Emma?" Killian's concern clear in his voice. "Is everything okay?" He pulled the shirt across her to cover her as he felt tears drop into his shoulder. "Did I push you too far? Emma I'm so sorry," Killian's voice broke. Emma held her shirt shut as she got off Killian and walked upstairs to the bathroom. She shut the door and burst into tears on the floor. She had been there for seconds before Killian was outside. "Emma? Emma, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me, I didn't mean to upset you. I don't want you to think I'm like that. That I'm using you. I'm not. Emma I'm sorry."

Emma continued to cry. She heard Killian walk away and she knew she'd blown it. It had been so long since someone had wanted to be with her that she forgot what it felt like. She didn't know what she was doing, and she didn't want to hop into bed with a stranger. She'd done that way too many times and it had always ended badly.

Killian returned outside the bathroom door and Emma was almost finished crying. She knew it was silly to get upset over such a thing and she knew that Killian would understand.

"Emma?" Killian's voice was cautious.

"Come on," Emma croaked, her throat sore from crying.

He carefully opened the door and his heart broke at the sight of Emma. She was sat against the bathroom counter, arms around her knees, makeup smeared down her face. He sat down in front of her and took her hand and placed a cup of cocoa there. Emma looked confused but she had a sip anyway. He'd put cinnamon in it. Killian stood up and found a packet of makeup wipes. He took one out, sat in front of Emma and she put her legs down so he would wipe off her makeup. Emma didn't take her eyes off him as he did it, wondering how she had been so lucky to find someone who would take care of her selflessly.

When all the makeup had been removed Killian moved next to Emma and held his arm out. She nestled into him and he put his arm around her. Emma had no more tears left in her and so she sipped her cocoa as Killian stroked her head soothingly. She put her empty cup on the floor next to her and put her arms around Killian. He held her tightly and kissed the top of her head. Emma had never felt loved before and she wondered if that was what this was.

Killian could feel Emma falling asleep on him. He scooped her up into his arms and carried her into her room. He woke her up before he placed her down on her bed. Emma was so tired that she could barely stand; the crying had taken all of her energy. Killian handed her the baggy shirt that was on the edge of her bed and turned around while she changed. Emma climbed into bed and Killian told her he was going to go.

"No, stay," Emma said, trying to keep awake long enough to talk.

"Alright love, I shall take up residence on the sofa," he laughed.

"No," Emma said, and she grabbed his hand. He sat on the edge of the bed, removed his shoes and Emma pulled him next to her. He placed his arm around her and she rested her head on his chest. She was asleep within moments.

Killian couldn't sleep. He was worried about Emma and what had happened to make her so upset. Given she hadn't kicked him out, he assumed that something else was troubling her. He trusted that she would tell him eventually, but he would let her in her own time. He turned on the bedside lamp to the dimmest setting, and began to read the book on the table next to him. He didn't want to sleep incase she needed him, and he prepared for a long night of reading.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:**

 **Hope you're all still enjoying it! I've hit 6,890 views so far and I couldn't be happier! Thank you all so much!**

Emma was in hospital for 5 days after she was admitted. Doctor Miles had given up asking if Emma had anyone she wanted to contact because Emma kept saying no. She didn't want to see anyone because she was ashamed of what happened. Snow had been right. She was right all along and Emma was just so blinded by love that she put Neal first instead of her friends. She needed time to process everything that had happened before she would speak to them.

DCI Graham Humbert came to visit Emma twice a day until she was discharged. During his visits, he'd bring her flowers, and tell her funny stories from his job. Emma loved his company, but she wondered if there was an ulterior motive for his visits.

Emma had two hours before she would be discharged and Graham was sat with her. He was going through a case file and Emma was eating hospital food. It was gross and Emma wasn't too sure what it was. Doctor Mills came into the room with a smile on her face.

"Good news, Miss Swan," she said. "You're free to go home!" Emma sighed with relief. Doctor Mills gave Emma all the information she needed as well as the painkillers she had been prescribed. Emma thanked her for all her help and she left.

"Well that's good news indeed!" Graham said.

"Yeah! I don't think I could stomach any more of that," Emma said and she pointed at the plate of food. They both laughed. Emma grabbed her clothes and went behind the curtain to get changed.

"That's better!" Graham laughed when Emma appeared from behind the curtain. "Do you need a lift?" Emma nodded and they walked out of the hospital. Graham had parked near the entrance of the hospital, which made it easier for Emma to get to. She hadn't walked much since being admitted and she was exhausted. She got into the front seat and had a sudden realisation. Where was she going to go? If she went back to her flat then she'd have to tell Snow and everyone what happened to her. It would make things a lot easier to tell them there and then. She told Graham her address and spent the whole time thinking about what she was going to say.

When she got to campus, she decided she would just say her and Neal were on a break. Emma scanned her face for signs of the attack. She had slight bruising around her neck, but she figured they could be passed off as love bites. Emma sighed; even after what he did to her she was still covering for him.

"What has Neal been charged with?" Emma asked as she stared across campus to the Storybrooke building.

"I was going to call you tomorrow and talk to you about that. I thought you deserved to have a moment's peace," Graham shrugged. "But, seeing as you asked. He's been charged with 3 Offences Against the Person, criminal damage, possession of a fire arm without certificate, possession of class C drug with intent to supply, actual bodily harm, robbery, assaulting a police officer, and… supplying instrument to cause miscarriage," Graham read them off from his case file and his voiced dropped as he read the last one. "I'm so sorry Emma. Sorry, Miss Swan," Graham's face burned red. "We'll need you to testify against Neal, so if you would be able to come to the station tomorrow, we'd really appreciate any information you can give us."

"Thank you," Emma said, and she climbed out the car. Her legs wobbled as she struggled to walk across campus. Her mind spun in circles as she tried to remember what she planned to say to Snow.

This all changed as soon as she saw Snow. They were all in the living room watching TV when Emma came through the door. Snow jumped up immediately when she sensed something was wrong.

"Emma, what happened?" she asked as she scanned Emma's face for the answer. Emma broke down in tears and fell on the floor. Snow threw her arms around her and hugged her tight. It was then she saw that Emma's pregnancy bumped had almost gone. "Emma, your baby!" She said without thinking. Emma howled, tears fell from her eyes like a waterfall. David and Robin leapt up and helped Emma onto the sofa. Emma laid on her side with her head on Snow's lap while Snow stroked her hair. David made her some cocoa, Belle got a blanket, Aurora gave her tissues, and Robin and Will both tried to ring Neal.

"Unbelievable!" Robin said. "I've rung him 4 times and he hasn't answered! I bet he's done this to her," he said in hushed tones to Will.

"He's been arrested," Emma squeaked. There was a series of gasps from everyone in the room. Emma wiped her eyes, blew her nose and had a sip of drink. "He was arrested 5 days ago."

"Where have you been, Emma? Please don't tell me you were in that dump he calls a home?" Will said.

"No," Emma said, unable to look any of them in the eye. "I've been in hospital." Then everything came out. She told them about the true nature of their relationship, the arguments, the fights, the drinking, the stealing, everything. They all listened to her, none of them judged her or questioned why she didn't leave him. They were beyond understanding and Emma loved them for it.

"Emma, I'm so sorry," Snow said, her hand in Emma's. "I wish we knew so we could have helped."

"No, it's my fault. I should have listened to you. I'm sorry I put him first," Emma began to cry again.

"Neal had a gun?" David asked.

"I never saw it," Emma mumbled. But then she remembered seeing a gun handle in the bag that Neal always carried around. She felt stupid for not realising sooner.

"So you need to go to the police tomorrow?" Aurora said.

"Yeah to give a statement," Emma said after she finished the last of her cocoa.

"We'll go too," Robin said. "The more witness statements there are, the better." Emma smiled around at her friends. Even after everything she'd put them through, they were there when she needed them most. When did I get so lucky? Emma thought to herself.

* * *

The sun shone through the gap in Emma's curtains the next morning which woke Killian. He was cosy in bed and didn't want to open his eyes just yet. There was someone in bed with him, their body radiated heat which soothed him. His arm was wrapped around their body, one under their neck and the other around their torso. They had their fingers interlocked with the hand attached to the arm under his neck, and the other hand was placed on his forearm. They breathed in sync.

"Morning," the voice said. It was Emma. Killian almost forgot that he wanted to stay awake all night to watch over her.

"Morning, beautiful," he whispered into her ear, neither of them yet to open their eyes. Emma played with their interlocked fingers and smiled to herself. She didn't remember the last time she had such a peaceful sleep. Emma shifted slightly to attempt to get up, but Killian held onto her. "Where do you think you're going?" he said. Emma giggled and shifted back to him. She felt something rock-hard against her lower back.

"Someone's feeling good this morning," Emma laughed. Emma rolled over and saw that Killian looked embarrassed. He began to leave the bed when Emma grabbed him. "Nope, if I'm not allowed to move, neither are you," she said. Killian nestled back into bed and they both hugged for a while as they drifted in and out of sleep. It surprised Emma how natural it all felt but she was glad.

The alarm went off at 7am and both of them groaned. Emma had to climb onto Killian to turn off the alarm.

"Oh hello," Killian said; the sight of Emma leaning over him wasn't what he expected.

"Sorry, the alarm went off," Emma said, but she stayed where she was.

"No, love, never apologise for this exquisite view," Killian's eyes wandered over Emma's body. He saw that Emma had chosen not to wear anything underneath her top, and he was treated to a sneak peek of Emma's behind. Her back arched as she leant over the bed, her hair swept to one side and tucked behind her ear, which exposed her neck. Killian struggled to contain himself and he wondered if she felt the same way. "But next time don't stand on ceremony," he added, cheekily.

Emma caught him looking at her lustfully. She moved back, pulled the duvet away, and straddled him. Killian smiled at her and placed his hands on her thighs. She leant down and kissed him, one hand on his cheek and the other rested on his chest. Killian stroked her thighs with his hands.

"Good morning," Emma said, in between kisses.

"Morning, beautiful," Killian replied. She sat upright and Killian followed. They were close enough to count each other's eyelashes. Killian moved Emma's hair off her shoulder, and the tips tickled Killian's legs. Her hands moved to the nape of his neck and her thumbs caressed him tenderly. There was a moment where they purely took in each other's features, reveled with just being together. Emma's hands travelled down Killian's chest, eyes fixed on his. She shifted backwards and undid his belt. She didn't have time to question why he slept in his trousers.

"Are you sure?" Killian said, worried Emma didn't actually want this. She leant forward, kissed him and placed her forehead on his.

"Yes." That was all Killian needed. He pulled Emma in closer and allowed his hand to move back to her thigh. Emma shuffled forward and their lips almost touched; their noses brushed against each other, eyes closed. They waited for the perfect moment, knowing that this was it.

Emma made the first move. Their lips met in desperation, one hand in his hair and the other on his neck. Her thumb caressed his jawline as the kissed deepened. Killian's hands travelled up from her thigh to touch the bare skin of her waist under her shirt. His gentle touched forced a soft moan out from her lips. Emma pulled Killian's head back to allow the kiss to become deeper, their tongues moved wildly. Killian explored all of Emma's back, fondling her, waiting for the kiss to break so he could explore more. His hands were at the sides of her back near her breasts when Emma pulled back. Killian looked worried but he relaxed when Emma pulled off her top. He took in the beauty that was her bare chest and began to kiss and suckle. Emma's moaning grew louder and her grip on Killian's hand tightened, encouraging Killian.

He rolled Emma onto her back and kissed her neck, his teeth lightly nipped her skin. Emma unbuttoned his trousers and pushed them off his hips as far as they would go.

"Not yet, love," Killian's voice was muffled. He moved down her front, leaving a trail of kisses as he went. Emma's back arched and her eyes snapped shut, already beginning to convulse. Killian slowed down when he sensed this, the sight of Emma trembling with pleasure was one he enjoyed. When his head was between her legs, Emma's moans grew much louder. Her hips began to thrust to help Killian, not that he needed any help. She rested her legs onto his shoulders and grabbed the sheets on the bed. When Killian sensed she couldn't take anymore, he stood up and stripped off. Emma was only allowed a moment to enjoy the view before Killian was on top of her.

"Ready, love?" Killian said with sincerity. Emma kissed him and nodded. She cried out when he entered her. Their hands interlocked above her head and he gently thrusted. They made love slow and tenderly, neither of them wanted to rush. Emma felt she had been waiting an age for Killian and she wasn't going to let him go yet. They stayed like this for a while, Emma's legs were stroked by Killian, and he pulled them higher and higher to allow himself to venture deeper. When Emma decided she wanted to take over, she rolled them over, and rocked her hips back and forth, maintaining the pace they'd set themselves. Killian sat up and pulled Emma's legs around him. He quickened the pace, both nearing completion. Emma's nails dug into Killian's back and she bit his shoulder, unable to contain herself. She was lost in the moment, moaning louder and louder, repeatedly calling out Killian's name. The sound of Killian's moans in her ear led her to where she needed to be. He held her close with one hand on her back and used the other to explore her core. They held each other until they both convulsed, both names were cried out in the heat of the moment, breathless and exhausted. They fell back onto the bed, Killian still inside her, unable to move or speak.

They were both covered in sweat, and their hands were once again interlocked. It took a while for them to have the energy to move, and when Emma dismounted him, Killian groaned.

"I was enjoying that," he muttered. Emma laid on her side with her arms around him and for the first time she felt safe.

When Emma woke up, it was 11am. Thank god I didn't have work today, she thought to herself. She rolled over to wake Killian, but he had gone. She sat upright and looked around the room. His clothes were gone too. She began to panic, frantic that she had been screwed over again. But then she heard the faint sound of Killian singing and she relaxed. Emma got out of bed and put on the shirt Killian had given her the day before. She walked down to the kitchen to see Killian was setting up breakfast. He'd found her waffle iron and had made a stack of them, which were piled onto a plate in the middle of the table. She loved this domestic side of Killian and wondered if they'd always be like this.

He had just placed a teapot onto the table when he saw Emma standing in the doorway. "You weren't supposed to wake up yet," he said, with mock annoyance.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Emma said, cheekily. "I'll just go upstairs and wait." She turned to leave and squealed when Killian grabbed her round the middle and lifted her up.

"I've carried barrels heavier than you," he said as he carried her into the kitchen. When he set her down, she threw her arms around him and kissed him. He reciprocated but stopped when his realised what Emma was wearing. "Is that my shirt?"

"Maybe," she said.

"Hmmm," he smiled and kissed her.

"I can take it off if you like," Emma began to unbutton the shirt, without taking her eyes off him.

"You know I've made breakfast, love? I'd despair if you started something you weren't intending on finishing for the sake of waffles," his hands were on his hips, admiring the view.

"Okay, I'll bite. It can wait." Killian kissed her forehead and they sat down to eat breakfast. Killian made amazing waffles, and he told her his brother taught him.

"It was one of the few things he could actually cook," he joked. When they'd finished eating, Killian insisted on cleaning up. Emma stood and watched for a while, but it wasn't very exciting. Killian's domesticity was cut short when Emma threw a shirt at him. "What the-" he said. He turned around to see Emma completely naked.

"We've finished now. I'd despair if you missed the opportunity to be with me for the sake of washing up," Emma said with a wink. She walked out of the hallway and Killian quickly dried his hands. He picked her up, her legs around his waist, and carried her in the living room. He misjudged where the sofa was, which caused them to tumbled over it and onto the floor. They laid on the floor laughing for ages before they moved onto the sofa where they stayed for the rest of the afternoon, completely devoured by their passion for each other.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

 **A little bit of CS smut for you (it's smut for me – I never write things like that!). Thanks for all your kind reviews, especially the ones about Emma's friends, I'm glad everyone think they're really good friends! Okay, next chapter, here we go!**

* * *

It took all day to get everyone's statements to the police, not to mention the piles of evidence they all rambled together. Snow, in her highly organised way, had kept count of how often she had seen Emma, and Belle had given her journal as evidence which contained her worries about Emma and how little they'd seen each other.

Emma was a nervous wreck, but she was glad she had everyone's support. They didn't smother her, they just seemed to know what Emma needed and when she needed it. Snow held her hand throughout, except when Emma went to give her statement. Robin and Will told Emma about their drunken antics that involved stealing traffic cones and climbing lamp posts.

They left the station at 6:30pm, all of them exhausted but starving hungry. As Will was listing all of the foods he'd kill to eat at that moment, Emma gasped as DCI Graham Humbert walked up the station steps. Snow, Aurora, and Belle quickly caught on and gave Emma a "go on" look, but the guys were none the wiser.

"Hi," Emma said as Graham approached.

"Miss Swan. How are you?" The guys looked at the others with confusion on their faces. They continued to walk down the stairs and waited at the bottom while Snow filled them in on who he was.

"I'm good, I just- I mean, we, just gave our statements," Emma used her thumb to point back at her friends.

"Ah, I'm glad. I'm just about to do the same," he said, and he used the same tactic as Emma to point at the station. "I'll keep in contact with you about the case... Unless you'd like to speak with someone from Witness Care Service?"

"No, I don't mind," Emma said with a smile.

"C'mon Emma, I'm starving!" Will shouted.

"Is that your boyfriend?" The words slipped out of Graham's mouth before he could think twice.

"No, no, not ready for that yet. He's just a friend," Emma said.

"Of course, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply anything by that, I just-" Graham cut himself off. "This is inappropriate of me. Goodnight," he turned to leave but Emma placed her hand on his arm to stop him.

"It's not inappropriate. It's just not the right time. When you're no longer working the case, give me a call," Emma said as she tried to cover up the surprise she felt at herself.

"I will," Graham smiled.

They bid each other goodnight, and Emma skipped down the stairs to join the group. They all made kissing noises and choruses of 'ooooooooooh!' which Emma was fairly certainly Graham could hear. Emma knew the case would last a long time, and so she had plenty of time to deal with what had happened before she started anything with Graham.

* * *

It was about 4:30pm by the time Killian and Emma came up for air. They'd moved back up the bedroom a few hours ago and neither of them had the energy for any more adventures between the sheets. Killian rested against the headboard while Emma laid horizontally across the bed with her head on his stomach. They talked about their most embarrassing moments, and Emma was about to reveal hers when her phone rang.

"It's Snow?" Killian said as he passed her the phone.

"Oh!" Emma took the phone. "Hello? … Hey yeah I'm good! … Yeah I did … Yep we did … Oh my god … I can't talk right now … Yes he is … Oh really? … Are you sure? … Okay, I'll see you tonight! … Bye … bye!" Emma hung up and turned to face Killian.

"Everything okay, love?"

"That was Snow, she's my best friend," Emma explained. "We're going out for dinner tonight, all of us from university are getting together. Would you like to come?"

"I would be honoured," he said and he kissed her. She jumped on him, ignoring his groans and mumbles about being too tired.

"You don't feel it," she giggled.

"When are we expected with your friends?"

"7pm," Emma said as she kissed down his chest.

"What restaurant are we eating at?" He struggled to talk as Emma found her target.

"Granny's," Emma's voice was muffled.

"As much as I hate to stop you Emma," his voice was strained and breathless. "Time is not on our side."

Emma sat up. It would take them at least 45 minutes to get there and Emma needed a shower. She got off the bed, took Killian's hand and led him into the shower. He laughed and they both found the energy for a quick rendezvous in the shower before they needed to get ready.

It was 5:30pm when they were both ready. Killian put on his clothes from the day before, and Emma opted for a pleated white dress, cream cable knit cardigan, tights, and brown ankle boots. She had her hair swept across one shoulder and pinned at the back.

"You look beautiful," he said and he kissed her.

"Thank you. I feel like I've seen you in these clothes before," Emma joked.

"Well I admit I wasn't prepared for a sleepover," he laughed.

Emma checked her watch. "We've got enough time if you want to get changed?"

"You don't mind?"

"Not at all! Besides, you've seen my place," Emma laughed.

They left Emma's house and saw Ruby outside hers. Killian called for a taxi while Emma went to see Ruby.

"Hey! I'm so sorry for leaving Pongo with you!" Emma said.

"No, don't worry at all!" Ruby said as she eyed up Killian. "So that's what's kept you busy?" They both giggled.

"Yeah," Emma was slightly red. "We're going out for dinner tonight with Snow and everyone. Are you free? Do you want to join?"

"That's really sweet but Peter's not feeling too good so I'm having to look after him. But you go, have an amazing time and just text me when you want me to bring Pongo over. I wouldn't want to disturb you," she said with a wink. Emma thanked and hugged her before getting in the taxi that Killian had ordered. It was a 10-minute drive to Killian's and Emma gasped when she saw his house.

It was a beautiful home that was completely isolated from other houses and it had its own gate code to enter the grounds. The taxi pulled up outside and Emma felt out of place. Killian asked the taxi to wait and he helped Emma out of the taxi.

"Don't worry, it's not as fancy as it looks," Killian said after he saw her worried face.

It was incredibly homely in the inside. It was a 15th century house that was on 3 floors and it still retained some of the original beams. Dark wood floors and doors could be seen, and a dark wooden winding staircase was at the back of the hallway. To the left was the dining room with a grand table that could seat 12 people easily. To the right was the living room with a log burning fire and squishy dark blue sofas. The kitchen was near the bottom of the stairs and behind the living room. It was huge, as big as the entire bottom floor of Emma's house. Behind the dining room and opposite the kitchen was a small lounge with a little fireplace. There was even a downstairs toilet.

Upstairs there were three bedrooms: one was Killian's, one was a spare room, and the other was a study. On the landing, there was an armchair next to a bookcase that housed all the classic novels that Emma had grown to love. There was a bathroom with a separate toilet as well.

Killian's room was the same size as the kitchen and was split in the middle by the original beam work. It appeared that this room used to be two separate rooms, but Killian told her that he had kept part of the original beam work to give him some privacy when he's in bed. He had an ensuite bathroom with a claw footed bath and walk in shower. His bed was a king-size poster bed; not only was it king-size, but also it was the exact sort of bed a King would sleep in.

"I thought you said it's not as fancy as it looks," Emma said before being distracted by Killian removing his clothes.

"I may have embellished on the truth," he winked at her. He dressed in a dark grey suit and a black shirt. He left a few buttons at the top to reveal part of his chest. He also wore black brogues. After he grabbed his wallet, keys, and phone, they returned to the taxi and drove to the restaurant.

Granny's was an amazing restaurant that Snow and Emma found during their second year of uni. It used to be a diner serving the best burgers in London, but some actress discovered it and it got popular over the next few years. It then became a restaurant with much pricer food and you have to book in advance. It was taken over by a new lady as the original Granny couldn't cope with the new stress of more customers. This was the first time Emma and Snow had been there since there was a new owner.

They got to the restaurant for 7:05pm, and Emma was annoyed. She hated being late, even by 5 minutes. But by the time they walked into the restaurant, arms linked together, all that had gone away at the sight of her 7 best friends together. Snow, Aurora, Philip, David, Robin, Will and Belle all leapt up when Emma and Killian walked over. Hugs, kisses and introductions were exchanged, everyone beamed when they saw how happy Emma looked with Killian. They all sat down; Emma sat opposite Killian with Snow on her right, then David sat next to Killian and Belle, Will was next to Snow, Aurora next to Will and Philip opposite. Robin sat at the head of the table.

The meal was wonderful. Everyone chatted to each other, they all asked Killian questions in the hope of getting to know him. Belle and Will announced that they were engaged, which caused a wave of excited shrieks along the table. Aurora and Philip were to be married the following November and they asked everyone to save the date. Aurora said that Killian was invited, which caused Killian and Emma to exchange a look of 'we literally met two days ago I don't think we can have this conversation yet'. Snow and David announced they were pregnant, which made Emma cry with happiness. Snow asked Emma to be godmother and asked Robin to be godfather.

"So, how did you two meet?" Aurora asked and acted as if she didn't already know. Emma and Killian laughed at each other, and Killian recounted the whole story, from the first moment on the tube until their first date the day before. He chose to leave out the "having sex all day long" part, which Emma was grateful for. Everyone commented on how sweet Killian was and Belle said their first date was amazing. Belle told Killian that her first date with Will consisted of a quick milkshake before he left. Will defended himself by saying he was just nervous, and everyone laughed.

They were at the restaurant until closing time (1am), none of them had noticed the time. They had eaten, drunk (except for Snow), and laughed until their stomachs and jaws ached. It was as if no time had passed.

"Oh, here comes the new owner!" Snow said, after she asked for the bill.

Emma did a double take. It was the lady from the tube the day she met Killian. The one who told her she should have gotten Killian's number.

"You got his number then?" the lady laughed when she came over. In response to everyone's confused looks, Emma explained that this lady was on the tube when she and Killian first met.

After they'd settled the bill, they all left and waited outside for their taxis. Snow and David left first as they had driven. When Snow hugged Emma, she whispered, "I think you've found a lovely guy." David hugged her and told her to ring him if there are any problems, which he knew there wouldn't be. As they all left, they all told Emma how much they liked Killian and how nice it was to meet Killian and how they all need to meet up again. It was just Emma and Killian left as they both decided they'd share a taxi to split the cost.

"So, that's my lot," Emma laughed awkwardly.

"They're really nice," Killian said, sincerely. "They all care about you a lot."

"Well we've been through a lot together," Emma said. Killian looked intrigued, "another story for another time," Emma brushed it off.

"So there will be a next time?" Killian's intrigue turned to hope.

"I think there will be," Emma said as she wrapped her arms around his waist and they kissed. The taxi arrived and Emma fell asleep on Killian's shoulder as soon as they got inside.

When they arrived at Emma's, Killian walked her to the front door. "I'd like to see you again, if I may?" he asked.

"I already said I wanted to!" Emma laughed.

"I admit, I wasn't a fan of how I previously asked. So I thought I'd give it another go."

"Yes, I would like to," she said. "Give me a call." She reached up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. He grabbed her and pulled her in for one last long kiss.

"God, I really don't want to go," he said as he leant his forehead against hers.

"Then stay," Emma whispered.

"If I stay, I'll never leave. I enjoy your company far too much."

"I'm failing to see a downside to this," Emma said. Killian laughed and kissed her again.

"Goodnight, Miss Swan," he kissed her hand.

"Goodnight, Killian."

He waited until she was safely indoors before getting back in the taxi.

When Killian got home, he went straight upstairs and pulled out a small box from his sock drawer. It was a box he handed open in a long time, and it was something he had forgotten about until a few hours ago. He opened it and pulled out the ring. It was engraved with the words "Milah & Killian, 15-04-08".

Emma wasn't the only one with demons from her past.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

 **I thought it was about time we dug into Killian's past a little bit and it's something I'm hoping to explore over the next few chapters. We've heard about how he got onto law (because of his brother) but we don't know much about his relationship with Milah. This is something I hope they'll go into on the show, as so far I don't like Milah but I want to know why Hook loved her so much. Okay, so on with the chapter!**

"This trial is to decide on the verdict of either guilty or not guilty on the defendant Neal Cassidy. He has been charged with several offences, but this trial is based on the offence of supplying instrument to cause the miscarriage of Neal Cassidy and Emma Swan's unborn child. Could we have the jury back in, please?" The judge asked. Emma was sat twiddling her fingers nervously.

Today was the day they would find out if Neal would be charged for his abuse on Emma. Snow, David, Will, Belle, Aurora and Robin were sat with her, Snow with a firm grip on Emma's forearm. Emma could see Graham was sat on the adjacent set of seats out the corner of her eye but she couldn't look at anyone but Neal. He was sat in the defendant's seat staring at Emma. He had menacing eyes and Emma knew that if it had just been the two of them in the court room, he would have beaten her within an inch of her life by now.

The jury piled in and took their seats. Another member of the court spoke.

"Madame Foreperson," he said, and the woman sat closest to him on the juror's bench stood up. "Answering yes or no, have you reached a verdict in this defendant?"

"Yes," she said meekly. Emma held her breath; her heart beat rapidly.

"A verdict of you all, or a majority?" he asked.

"A majority," she said.

"Would the defendant please stand?" he asked and Neal stood up, his eyes still on Emma. When David saw this, his balled his hand into a fist so tight his knuckles were white.

"Do you find the defendant Neal Cassidy guilty or not guilty?"

"Not guilty," she said, this time confidently. Emma let out a loud whimper, which caused everyone in the court to look at her. Snow put her arms around her and held on tight. Tears cascaded from Emma's eyes and a curt smile could be seen on Neal's face.

"Mr Cassidy, you have been found not guilty. You're free to leave the dock," the judge said. Neal thanked the judge, and he left the dock. "Members of the jury, thank you for your careful attention to the facts and for giving your verdict. You have discharged your duties honourably." The jury filtered out of the courtroom and Emma began to cry uncontrollably.

"Let's get her out of here," David said. Snow helped Emma to her feet and David put his arm around her. Snow held her hand and they all left the courtroom, the rest of the group behind them. They walked out of the building and almost made it down the steps before Robin ran past them. He pinned Neal up against a car, their faces inches apart. David kept Emma at his side on the steps with Snow, Aurora and Belle, but Will chased after Robin.

"You sick bastard, how did you do that? How did you play the system?" He screamed, his voiced echoed around. Robin pulled him away slightly before he slammed him against the car. "You beat her, manipulated her, and murdered her child, and you walk free? WHAT DID YOU DO TO GET OUT?" He bellowed the last words. Neal smiled at Robin and Robin punched him square on the nose and it broke in impact. Graham, who had watched the whole exchange, walked up to Robin and said; "I'll give you two seconds to walk away before I arrest you for ABH." Robin gave Neal one last filthy look before he and Will walked away. Neal struggled to stop his nose from bleeding and he cried out in pain. The rest of the group followed, but when Emma got to the pavement, Graham asked to speak with her.

"Emma, I can't apologise enough for this," he said. "But don't give up hope. This was just the first of many offences he faces conviction for. Cases of domestic violence are difficult to convince everyone of and unfortunately there just wasn't enough evidence."

"I understand," Emma nodded and she was turned to walk away but Graham held her arm.

"I want to help you," he said. "There's a lawyer you can contact who can ensure that a restraining order can be placed to stop Neal coming within a set amount of you. His name is Mr Gold and if you tell him I referred you, you won't need an appointment." Graham scribbled two numbers onto a piece of paper. "The top number is Mr Gold's and the second is mine. Don't hesitate to contact me if you need anything." He didn't give her a chance to answer before he put Neal into his car; he loudly explained to Neal that he was going to the hospital.

* * *

Emma woke up the next day with the biggest grin spread across her face. The last three days had been amazing. She couldn't stop thinking about Killian, and how grateful she was that both her friends and Killian got on well with each other. It was about 8am when Emma woke up, and she sat up in bed and read for an hour before she made her usual Sunday breakfast of pancakes and bacon.

She hummed as she cooked, and when she saw Ruby in the back garden, she knocked on the window and invited her over. Emma unlocked the backdoor and piled the pancakes and bacon onto the table.

"You want to join me?" Emma said as she got the maple syrup out of the cupboard and put the teapot on the table.

"Emma," Ruby said, with one eyebrow cocked, arms folded.

"What?" she said looking at Ruby.

"It's Sunday. You don't want anyone over on a Sunday." This was true; Sundays were Emma's selfish days.

"Well, maybe I'm in the mood for some company," she said with a laugh.

"Call Killian then," Ruby teased. "He must have had quite an effect on you."

"Yeah," Emma laughed. "He's something." Pongo came running through the door at that moment and Emma dropped to the floor to hug him. "Hello, oh I've missed you so much!" Pongo licked all over her face, which made her giggle like a schoolgirl. "Stop it!" she said jokingly, and she stood up. "Ruby, thank you so much for looking after him, how much do I owe you?"

Ruby held up her hand. "Nothing." Emma looked confused and so Ruby continued. "Emma, I've known you for 9 years and I've never seen you this happy. I've never known you to date a guy, have him stay the night, and then have him meet your friends. Emma, I'm so happy for you, this is what you need. Anytime you want me to look after Pongo, I will. I'll do anything to make sure you keep rising up." Emma burst into happy tears and they hugged. Ruby said bye to both Emma and Pongo and she left. Emma had some fantastic times at university with Ruby, both of them always out partying together. At the given it seemed like the best idea, but the reality is that Emma should have sought help.

Emma ate her breakfast (4 pancakes and about 10 pieces of bacon – she was starving!), and went upstairs. Usually her Sundays were spent reading or watching TV, but Emma didn't feel like that today. She wanted company.

As if she could read her mind, Snow rang Emma. Emma answered on the 2nd ring.

"Hey Emma!" Snow's voice sang down the phone.

"Morning, Snow. How are you?"

"Yeah, I'm good! Listen, I know Sunday's are _your_ day, but David and I were having a Sunday roast this afternoon with some of his colleagues. Now, as nice as they are, it'll be all work talk, nothing for me to talk about. Did you want to come over?"

"I'll bring dessert!"

"Emma, you're a star! Come over for about 3:30pm, okay? Bye!"

Emma went back downstairs and hunted through her recipe books until she found two desserts that she knew would go down well: trifle and cupcakes.

It has been a long time since Emma had baked and she was quite looking forward to it. After a rush to the shop to buy everything she needed, she had the fruit soaking in rum in a bowl while she made 6 different types of cupcakes. The trifle recipe was one that Snow's mother had given her and Snow had given it to Emma. Apparently it had been a tradition to pass this recipe down through the generations since the early 1930s. Snow had always seen Emma as her daughter, despite them being the same age, and on their second Christmas of being friends Snow gave Emma the recipe.

It was 1pm by the time Emma had finished baking. She had a huge 9-layered trifle in a bowl and 36 cupcakes in a special cupcake carry case. Emma had made Oreo, vanilla, coconut, strawberry, chocolate, and lemon drizzle flavoured cupcakes. Emma had 2 and a half hours before she needed to be at Snow's, a journey that could take up to 2 hours. She rushed upstairs and grabbed the first outfit she could think of. She opted for a blue button-up shirt with white stripes, teamed with a navy blue knee length skater skirt, red heels and a red clutch bag. She ran a brush through her hair and thanked her parents for blessing her with naturally wavy hair that behaved. After her usual amount of makeup was put on, this time she wore red lipstick as well, she grabbed her phone and swapped over everything from her the bag she used the day before to the red clutch.

Emma had 10 minutes to get to the car, and she stopped to take a photo of what she had made. She sent it to Aurora, Bella, Robin and Will, with the comment 'haven't done this much baking in a while!' She paused and decided to send a photo to Killian as well: 'Selfish Sunday turned into baking for the 5,000!' Emma put away her phone and loaded up the car. She had a slightly beaten up bright yellow Volkswagen bug. She loved her car but she rarely had time to use it given that she was always on the trains or at home. Pongo jumped into the backseat after Emma had ensured everything was turned off (Emma had once left the oven on after her last baking session, a mistake she was not going to make again!) and she had locked up the house. Emma took off her heels to drive and was about to start the engine when her phone pinged. A text from Killian: 'Swan, you are a woman of many talents. I hope I'll get to taste your baking creations soon!" Emma smiled like an idiot before she put her phone away and drove off.

The quickest way to get to Snow's meant Emma would have to pass by Killian's house. It took her two seconds to decide what she was going to do. Emma arrived at Killian's gate and panicked when she couldn't remember the code. She pressed the 'call' button, but nothing happened. Before she could turn around and abandon her idea, the gates opened. Emma drove up to the front of the house and put her shoes on before leaving the car. Emma knocked on the door and Killian answered after a few moments. He was dressed in a black Henley shirt and dark denim jeans.

"So you're the owner of that yellow bug," Killian smiled and nodded at the car. "Normally I wouldn't let just anyone into the gate, but when I saw the car I had to know who it belonged to."

"Hi," was all Emma could say. She was too happy to be here. Killian walked over to her and kissed her. "I hope you haven't ruined my lipstick," Emma said.

"Nope, nope, you look stunning," Killian said as he inspected her mockingly. "You look beautiful, Swan." He kissed her again. "What's the occasion?"

"Snow and David are having a Sunday roast with David's colleagues and Snow wanted me there. That's what I made the trifle and cupcakes."

"You're full of hidden talents," he laughed. Emma remembered why she was there.

"And now for the reason why I'm here," Emma said as she walked to the back of her car and opened the trunk. Emma had divided the cupcakes up into 6 boxes with 1 of each cupcake in each box. Emma selected the box she liked the most, shut the trunk, and gave it to Killian. He looked ecstatic when she gave him the box. "These are for you. I hope 10 minutes later is the soon you meant." Killian wrapped one arm around her and pulled her in for a kiss.

"Thank you, Emma. These look perfect. Just like you," he said, as he looked deep into her eyes. They kissed again, Emma's arms around his neck, not wanting to let go. She had an idea. "I'm happy you're here, Emma, but I fear what Snow will think if you're late!"

"Just hold on a second," Emma said and she ran down to her car. She bent over and got her phone out.

"That's quite a view you're giving me, Swan," Killian called, as he leant against the doorframe with his head cocked to the side. Emma turned back and shot him a look before she stood up.

"Hey Snow, is it okay if Killian comes today? Okay, thank you! I'll be there soon," Emma said and put her phone away. "You've got 5 minutes to get ready. Oh, and this is Pongo by the way," she nodded at Pongo who looked quite confused as to where they were. Killian smiled and he went back into the house. Within 3 minutes he had changed into a smart navy shirt, black trousers, and black brogues. He locked up the house and opened the door to the backseat of the car and introduced himself to Pongo. Pongo licked him all over and barked gleefully. Emma told him that was a sign that Pongo liked him, and they set off once Pongo and Killian were both back in the car.

On the journey, Emma and Killian spoke non-stop. She recounted all the funny stories from university with the group and all her stories had Killian in stitches. She chose to leave out first year, not wanting to tell him about the demons from her past just yet. Killian asked if she would be okay if he invited the guys over to his at some point and Emma told him what a great idea it was.

They got to Snow's 5 minutes early and she was ready at the door. Snow came down and took Pongo while Emma and Killian grabbed the desserts from the car. Killian had his arm around Emma as they entered the house and followed Snow through to the kitchen. Snow told them to put the desserts down on the table before she took Pongo outside. There was someone else in the kitchen but neither Killian nor Emma saw them. Killian told her how beautiful she looked and Emma thanked him for coming with her. They kissed and the person in the kitchen could tell how much love was in that kiss.

"Hello, Killian." The person had found their voice. Emma and Killian broke apart and Killian's smiled dropped and the blood drained from his face.

"Milah?"


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

 **So what I'm going to try and do is wrap up Emma's university days and complete it over this chapter. This chapter will be purely about Emma's university days so in the next chapters I can start digging into Killian's backstory. I'm glad y'all are enjoying it so far; I absolutely love writing it. Please keep your comments coming, I've taken on board a few things that some people have said and I thank you for that! Here we go, back to Misthaven University when Emma was a student…**

* * *

When they arrived back at their flat, no one could speak. Emma was still an uncontrollable mess and David hadn't taken his arm off her once. David led Emma to the sofa and they sat down while Snow made some tea. Will got ice for Robin's knuckles and Belle and Aurora searched on the Internet for the mysterious Mr. Gold.

"It says he's a solicitor and a good one too, apparently!" Aurora said.

"Aurora, Emma doesn't want to think about that right now," David said.

"No, I do. I'll ring him," Emma went to stand up but David stopped her.

"Emma, it's been an emotional day, just rest and ring him tomorrow," David said.

"But what if tomorrow's his only appointment and if I ring him tomorrow and then he says he's busy all week and I can't get an appointment then I'll have to deal with knowing Neal is out roaming the streets freely!" Emma said without stopping for breath.

"He won't be out of hospital for at least two days, I can assure you," Robin said as he lifted his hand to show his knuckles. Emma smiled at him.

"I'm calling him," she said and she went to her room and dialed the number.

"Hello, Gold and DeVil Law Firm, Ella speaking. How may I help you?" cooed a rehearsed voice down the phone.

"Erm, hi, my name's Emma Swan, I was told to contact Mr. Gold?"

"Okay, who referred you, please?" her singsong voice started to irritate Emma.

"DCI Graham... Humbert?" Emma struggled to remember his last name.

"Mr. Gold has an availability tomorrow at 10am. We're located 5 minutes walk from Bank station, on Treetops Road. Please ensure you arrive 15 minutes early to allow time for security checks. Thank you." She hung up. Emma sighed. Well, this is happening, she thought.

She went downstairs and told everyone she was meeting Mr. Gold at 10am the next day. To take her mind off of it, Snow suggested they all stay in and order pizza. David went next door and brought back his boxset of House and they watched nearly all of the first season before they all fell asleep in front of the TV.

Emma was out the door before the rest of them woke up; meeting Mr. Gold was something she needed to do on her own. She'd decided to wear an outfit of Snow's that consisted of a mustard yellow polka dot blouse, burgundy skater skirt, light brown brogues and a long brown cardigan. She felt wearing Snow's clothes would make it feel as though Snow was with her.

She was outside of DeVil and Gold's at 9:40am and she was shaking. Her legs barely made it up the front steps, through the glass doors and over to the reception desk. The girl at the reception desk was only a few months older than Emma, and her blonde hair was swept back into a complicated bun. She wore a baby blue pencil dress and a black choker necklace.

"Hi, welcome to DeVil and Gold, may I take your name please?" Emma recognised the singsong voice of Ella.

"Emma Swan?" Emma said. She typed the name into the computer and then stood up.

"Yes, Miss Swan. My name's Cinderella but everyone calls me Ella," she held out her hand for Emma to shake it.

"Cinderella? Seriously?" Emma said half sarcastically, half confused. Ella didn't hide her hurt well. To make up for it, Emma took her hand and shook it. She followed Ella to the security gates and was let through. They walked to the lift and Ella pressed the button for the 40th floor. They didn't speak as the lift rise higher and higher; a feeling that Emma didn't want to get used it as it was making her nauseous.

When the lift reached the 40th floor, Emma and Ella stepped out into a huge room with a view overlooking the entire city. There were bookcases from floor to ceiling on three of the walls and the window overlooking the city took up the entire wall. There were two tub chairs in front of the old oak desk, and the main desk chair was leather and facing the view of the city. Emma's heart raced, she didn't know what to expect.

"Mr. Gold? Miss Swan is here to see you," Ella announced before she returned to the lift. The chair didn't move and Emma shuffled on her feet. Was she supposed to say something? Should she move? Emma kept her feet still and didn't dare move until Mr. Gold revealed himself. After thirty seconds the chair turned around and Emma's mind instantly travelled to a James Bond villain. She swallowed a laugh and took in the appearance of Mr. Gold.

Mr. Gold rose out of his chair, picked up a cane and walked over to Emma. He was a head shorter than Emma, and he wore a three-piece black pinstripe suit. He had shoulder length hair sat just above his shoulders. When he reached Emma, he stopped with his cane in front of him and placed both hands on top of it. He surveyed Emma before he reached out a hand.

"Miss Swan? Mr. Gold," he said. Emma shook his hand, completely unsure of what to say or think. He stepped back, and gestured towards the tub chairs. They both sat down, Gold in his desk chair and Emma in a tub chair. She twiddled her fingers nervously.

"I understand you're here for a favour?" Gold said.

"Well, no, not exactly-" Gold raised his hand to stop her.

"Relax. Humbert told me what happened. I've got your file here," he said as he pointed to the only file on the desk. "I can help you, but I'll need to know what happened."

Emma really didn't want to recount the gory details of her destructive relationship. "I thought you had my details-"

He raised a hand again. "I want to hear you tell me."

Emma took a deep breath and told Mr. Gold all about her relationship with Neal. She told him how they met, how her behaviour changed, how he used to treat her, when he changed, everything. It was a breath of fresh air to be able to talk to an impartial person about what she had been through and she could see that Mr. Gold wasn't judging her. It took her over an hour to go through everything and while she spoke, Mr. Gold's elbows were on the arms of the chair, his fingertips touched and his rested his chin on them. Emma finished her tale with her last meeting with Graham where he told her to get in touch with Mr. Gold.

"Thank you, Miss Swan. I'll be in touch," he said. Emma was taken aback.

"I'm sorry?"

"For what?"

"No, I meant… We haven't done anything. You haven't said anything?" Emma's temper rose.

"I've got all the information I need. I'll be in touch," he said and he turned his chair away from Emma. She walked to the lift and pressed the 'G' button for the ground floor. Emma looked up and jumped when Mr. Gold appeared in front of her. "Trust me, dearie. I know what I'm doing," he said as the doors closed.

Emma returned the next day following a call from Ella to say Mr. Gold needed to speak with her. She opted for a more casual look today, and was dressed in a white crop top, skinny ripped jeans and white converse. She stepped out of the lift into Gold's office at 10am sharp and gasped when she saw Neal sat in one of the tub chairs.

"Hi Emma," he said. Emma froze; she wanted to run but her legs wouldn't move.

"Miss Swan, please sit down," Mr. Gold indicated to the chair next to Neal. Emma cautiously crossed the floor and sat down. She tried to keep as much distance between them as possible. "Miss Swan, I'm afraid I cannot help you," he said.

Fear washed over Emma, "but Graham said-" Gold stopped her using his signature hand gesture.

"Humbert was mistaken. However, after hearing the tragic tale of your failed relationship, I'm prepared to offer you a deal." Emma looked nervously from Gold to Neal completely bewildered. "Neal has agreed to move away from London, across the pond, in fact. He has agreed to never contact you again. I understand that there are still four charges against him that you made and so in return, you will drop all charges against him." As he spoke to her, he didn't blink or look away. He stared at her, which made Emma really uncomfortable, but she didn't want him to know that.

"That doesn't sound like much of a deal to me," Emma found her fighting voice.

"You both get what you want, Neal will be in a different country and he won't be facing charges of assault."

"He deserves to be charged," Emma said, her temper rose and her cheeks began to burn.

"No, Miss Swan. He doesn't." Those words cut Emma like a knife.

"How can you say that?" Emma shouted. She stood up and she balled up her fists. "I sat here for an hour yesterday and told you every single thing that he did to me, and you think he deserves to walk free? Who the hell do you think you are?" Emma yelled.

Gold surveyed her for a few moments before he answered. "He's my son."

Emma exhaled sharply in disbelief. She couldn't stand being in the same room as them anymore and so she turned around and left. As the lift doors closed, Neal called after her but Emma looked away. She left the building and ran all the way to Holborn Police Station.

Emma ignored the receptionist who shouted at her to sign in and that she couldn't just come barging into the station like this. Emma marched through until she found Graham's office. She threw open the door and yelled at him. "He's his father!" Graham looked confused. "Mr. Gold? He's Neal's father!" The colour drained from his face as he realised what he'd done. "Thanks for your helpful advice! It was really good to be around for the lovely family reunion!" Emma spat her words out like the venom of a viper. The receptionist arrived at the doorway, but Graham sent her away.

"It's fine, Emma's here to see me," Graham said. The receptionist gave Emma the side eye before she walked away.

Emma's chest was heaving with anger. She was out of breath from running and from shouting. It had been a long time since Emma had been this angry.

"This explains everything!" Emma continued. "This explains how Neal got away with what he did to me. His father is some top-shot defensive lawyer! How did exactly did you think he would be able to help me?" Emma placed her hands on the desk and leaned across. "I needed someone to actually help me, a proper lawyer who can get me some help. I need protection from Neal, I don't need to be sent on a wild goose chase by some detective with a crush!"

Graham stood up and put his hands on his hips. "Emma, that's so-"

'That's so what? Accurate? You think I can't tell when someone has a crush on me? The day I gave my statement you asked me out once the trial was over. You gave me your mobile number after Neal was let off. You're letting your crush cloud your judgment and I don't want anything to do with you." Emma turned to leave but Graham made it to the door before her and closed it.

"Emma, please, let me explain," he pleaded, his hand on the door. "I didn't know about Gold and Neal. All I know is that he is a good lawyer that gets his clients what they want with minimum work. I thought it would be the quickest way for you to get a restraining order so you could be protected. And yes, Emma, I like you. You're much younger than me, but I do like you. I can't help it. There's just something about you," his voice trailed off when Emma looked up at him. She had to admit that the feeling was mutual. She liked Graham too; he was brave, protective, and attractive. He was the type of person that Emma wanted so what was holding her back?

She placed her hand on his chest not taking her eyes off him. His breathing quickened and his eyes flicked between her hand and her eyes. She moved her hand up his chest and up to his neck. Her thumb stroked his jawline and she moved a small step closer. Graham wasn't sure what to think of this advance, and deep down he knew that he shouldn't respond, but he wasn't thinking properly. He grabbed her waist and pulled her in for a kiss. Emma wrapped her arms around him and Graham pressed her against the door. He ran his hands up her torso and over her bum as this kiss grew more urgent. Emma lifted her leg up and Graham supported her as she wrapped her legs around him. He carried her over to the desk and pushed the paperwork off it. Even sat on the desk, Graham was still a head taller than Emma, which made it easier for the kiss to deepen as Emma titled her head back. She pulled his shirt out from his trousers and began to unbutton it. When Graham realised what she wanted, he stopped kissing her and locked his office door and closed the blinds. Emma pulled off her own top and Graham was treated to the view of Emma's bare chest. He laid her down and began to kiss over her chest and suck her. Emma moaned loudly, and Graham put his hand over her mouth.

"If we get caught, I get fired and arrested." He muttered in her ear. This realisation hit Emma hard as Graham tried to unzip her jeans. She sat up and pushed him off her. Graham was confused when Emma pulled on her top and grabbed her bag.

"I don't want to see you again," Emma said. She unlocked the door and left. Graham leant against his desk and ran his hand through his hair. He'd messed up big time and he felt awful for it. Emma was at her most vulnerable and he'd taken advantage of that. He rebuttoned his shirt, fixed up his desk and chased after Emma.

He caught her before she turned the corner and she had tears in her eyes.

"Emma, I know you don't want to see me again but let me explain," Graham's voice broke. Emma stopped in her tracks but refused to look at him. "I'm sorry, Emma. I let it get too far and I took advantage of that. I'd never do anything to try and hurt you, and I'm sorry. Please forgive me." Graham said.

Emma took a couple of deep breaths before she answered. "I do," she said meekly. "But I don't want to see you again. I can't be with anyone right now. I need to deal with what happened and look after myself. This is too much," Emma said. She walked a few paces before she turned back to Graham. "I really do like you, Graham. In more ways than one you're perfect for me. But timing's a bitch and this isn't what I want right now. Thank you for everything you've done for me, but this is it. Goodbye, Graham," Emma half smiled at him before she walked off. She was proud of herself for walking away, but she knew she'd messed up her chances with Graham. True, he was 10 years her senior, but she needed to be on her own. She had work to do and she wasn't going to let a guy get in her head, her heart or any other body part.

* * *

Two months later Emma moved into a house with Aurora, Will, David, Snow, Robin and Belle and she worked solidly for the next two years. She graduated university with a First Honours Degree, and snapped up a job as a teaching assistant within weeks. Emma moved into a two bedroom flat with Robin as they were both working at the same school in London. Emma never gave Neal a thought until one day when she went to a bar after work and he was on the news.

"Neal Cassidy has been arrested for armed robbery at a bank in Central London this morning. He was caught within moments of leaving the bank and was charged on the scene. He will appear in court later his month where he will face legal action for all previous charges, including two and a half years ago when he was on trial for instigating the miscarriage of his and Emma Swan's unborn baby." Emma felt cold yet her face burnt red. Two and a half years later and he's getting re-tried; Emma was both happy yet sad. She was worried that she would have to face him again, that she would have to give evidence in court again. She worried that she'd see Graham again. With every worry that came into her head, she drank a shot of vodka to mask the pain. Emma was feeling the effects and she knew she shouldn't have drunk the vodka alongside the 4 cocktails she'd already had.

"You need to take it easy," came a voice from Emma's left side. She turned to see a guy in a black leather jacket drinking a glass of whiskey.

"Who are you to judge how much I should drink?" Emma argued. He laughed which wound Emma up. He stood up and walked over to her and leant against the bar.

"Judging people for how much they drink would be hypocritical of me," he said as he drained the last of his whiskey and ordered another. "The name's August."

"Emma," said Emma as she took her last shot. "That's it, I'm done for the night," she said.

"You live nearby?" August asked. Emma looked up at him and rested her elbow on the bar with her head on her hand.

"Why? You want to come over?" She flirted.

"Maybe," August said. "You're kinda hot."

"You're not so bad yourself," Emma said as she eyed him up and down. "I live nearby. And by nearby, I mean so far away that you won't be coming over," she said.

"That's too bad," he said. "You look like you could use the company." Emma drained his whiskey and took his hand.

"You're not wrong there," she said. She led him to the bathroom stall and into the ladies' room. "You might want to get out of here, this is gonna get loud," Emma said to the two girls that were applying their makeup. They gave Emma the side-eye before they left. Emma opened the cubicle nearest to them and pulled August inside. Emma unzipped and pulled down his jeans followed by his underwear before she whipped off her own and straddled him. She unbuttoned her shirt to reveal her bare chest and let him play with her while she kissed him. Their tongues passionately danced, only wanting each other for this one thing. There was nothing but mutual attraction but that's all Emma wanted. August grew harder underneath her as she moaned into his ear. It didn't take long before they were both ready and Emma rode him hard and fast until they both exploded. Emma stood up first, put her underwear back on and took out August's phone from his jean pocket. She typed in her number and handed it to him.

"Give me a call if you want to go again," she said, and she left. Emma found shelter in a bar two doors down and phoned Robin to come and get her. Robin was there within 15 minutes and he helped her into the car. She fell asleep during the short journey home and didn't wake up as Robin carried her into the flat and put her on the bed. He took off her shoes and draped two blankets over her.

"Oh Emma," he muttered to himself. She hadn't been this drunk in a long time and as he saw the news, Robin knew why she had done this to herself.

* * *

 **So that's Emma's days at university wrapped up. Neal gets charged and put in prison for what he did to Emma and Emma and August have a sexual relationship for a few months until Emma moves into her new house. Emma and August become friends and he does up her house for her. I hope you enjoyed that chapter and next chapter I'll be back on track with Snow's dinner party.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

 **Okay so I just wanted to say I work full time 2 different jobs and so having time to write is minimal. I'm glad you're all enjoying the story, but I can't update as often as I'd like. I'll try to update every couple of days, so just bare with me. Thank you so much for your ongoing support though!**

Emma looked from Killian to Milah uncertain of what to think. The colour had completely gone from Killian's face and Emma knew they had a past. Snow returned from the garden and shut the door.

"Oh Emma, Killian, this is Milah. She works with David at the station. Milah, this is Killian, he's a defensive lawyer at Gold and DeVil, and Emma is a lecturer at Misthaven University," Snow said as she pottered around the kitchen in preparation to serve the food.

"Excuse me," Killian said and he left the room. Emma didn't know if she should go after him or not and she needed to talk to Snow, but Snow clearly didn't know that Milah and Killian had a past.

"So, Emma," Milah said. "You're a lecturer? What's that like?"

"Erm, it's good," she said. Why was this woman making small talk?

"Emma's the head of her department!" Snow interjected.

"Oh wow," Milah said and Emma sensed a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "Of what department?"

"Humanities and Social Sciences. I teach English Literature and History."

"Really worth while subjects then," she said, and the sarcasm was clear in her voice this time. Snow could sense the tension and hurried up with making the lunch.

"And what exactly do you do at the station?" Emma asked.

"I work in the finance department," Milah said as she tried to make it sound more important than it actually was.

"Oh, so you're not actually out there saving lives like David does?" Emma was not going to let this woman get the better of her.

"Well it's better to be on this side of the law than to be lying for criminals like your boyfriend does." There it was. The way Milah said 'boyfriend' Emma knew straight away that Milah was his ex. Ex drama is something that Emma didn't want to get involved with but she wasn't going down without a fight.

"Just because they've been arrested, doesn't mean all criminals are guilty. That's why they go to trial. Or are you so far away from the practicality of law enforcement that you're out of touch with the way things work?" Emma could see that she had stunned Milah into silence and so she ducked out of the kitchen. Killian was in the hallway and heard every word that was exchanged.

"Emma-" he started to say.

"Don't," Emma stopped him. She walked past and went into the kitchen to see David. David introduced her to the 7 members of his squad who all had nicknames: Grumpy, Sleepy, Dopey, Doc, Sneezy, Bashful and Happy. He also introduced her to Archibald Hopper, the therapist that deals with criminals, and close friends with David. Killian arrived at Emma's side and David introduced him to everyone and called him Emma's boyfriend. When Emma shot him a look of 'what do you think you're doing', David shrugged in reply and whispered, "Well what else am I supposed to call him?" He laughed and Emma gave a small laugh. Milah and Snow appeared in the living room and David went to introduce Emma and Killian but Emma stopped him. David could sense the tension and didn't push the subject. Snow called for everyone to sit down and David sat at the head of the table with Emma next to him and Killian opposite. Snow was at the other end with Milah and Archibald, although he asked Emma to call him Archie, sat next to Emma.

David and Killian were deep in conversation about the law, work, rugby teams, local pubs they had to try, and beer and cider festivals they needed to go to while Emma and Archie were discussing some of the novels on Emma's course. Emma enjoyed talking to Archie because he shared the same enthusiasm as she did, and as he was a therapist, he was able to see the deeper meaning of the books like Emma did. Emma didn't look at Killian once despite him trying to include her in the conversation.

The food Snow had made was amazing; the first course was prawns in a tempura batter, the second course was a roast dinner complete with beef, pigs in blankets, carrots, potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, parsnips and gravy. The final course was Emma's trifle and cupcakes. Both David and Snow sang Emma's praises about what a great baker she was and everyone asked for a cupcake and a piece of trifle. However, when it came to Milah, she refused.

"I'm so sorry to be awkward, but I don't like trifle or cupcakes," she said, but she didn't sound sorry at all.

"Don't be silly, we had cupcakes last week at work and you ate three!" David joked. She shot him a look.

"Well recently I've found that I don't like the taste."

"There's 6 different flavours, I'm sure there's one you'll like," Snow said in desperation to diffuse the tension.

"Probably not. It's all in the way they're baked that I don't like," Milah said and shot Emma the coldest look that it was a surprise Emma didn't turn into an ice sculpture.

"Milah, that's enough," Killian spoke up. Emma was shocked and so was Milah.

"Excuse me but I am allowed to express my opinion," Milah tried to say confidently but her voice broke.

"Not when it's at the expense of humiliating Emma," Killian said and he gave her the same look Milah had given Emma. Emma, who was still annoyed that Milah was there, was happy Killian was standing up for her. But Emma could stand up for herself; she didn't need him to do it for her.

"Killian, leave it. It's not worth it," Emma said.

"It's not my fault that she only made desserts that a select few would like. She didn't think about everyone else-"

"Well I'm sorry for not thinking that I would come face-to-face with the guy I'm seeing's crazed ex-girlfriend that would try to humiliate me for the sake of jealousy!" Emma spat. It was so quiet in the room that you would be able to hear a pin drop.

Milah sat back in her chair, "not ex-girlfriend, darling," she said with a curl grin. "Ex- _wife_ ," she emphasised the last word and Emma had had enough. Without looking at Killian she thanked Snow and David for the food and said it was nice to meet everyone. She rose out of her chair and Killian did the same, "don't," she said and he stayed standing as Emma left the room. Killian chased after Emma and caught her just as she got into her car.

"Emma-" he started to say.

"Look, I get it. Everyone has a past," Emma said as she tried to blink away the tears in her eyes. "You don't have to tell me what happened, but I can guess it was a bad and messy breakup. I've got things about my past that I'm not ready to share, that's if I'll ever be ready to share. I won't judge you for what you've been through but I won't be dragged in the middle. I won't sit there and be made to feel like an idiot in front of a bunch of strangers and my two best friends. You've clearly got things to sort out with her and until that happens, I don't think I can see you again." A tear fell from Emma's eye as she open the car door. Killian grabbed her hand.

"Emma, please don't do this. She's immature and jealous. There's a reason our marriage fell apart and the reason is her. Please, Emma. I want to be with you," Killian's voice wavered as he spoke. It broke Emma's heart to hear the break in his voice. Emma leant forward and kissed his cheek.

"I just need some time. And so do you. Goodbye Killian." Emma got into her car and reversed out of the driveway. Killian stood and watched as Emma drove away, both of them in tears.

Milah came out of the house and stood next to Killian. "Well, there goes your ride," she said.

"What is your problem, Milah?" Killian was fired up. "We haven't seen each other in 6 years and this is how you choose to act? Why do you have to be this way, why couldn't you just accept that I have moved on? That amazing woman you drove away from me and her friends is the one I want to be with. She understands me, she enjoys my company, and she's my equal. You of all people have no right to get in the way of whom I choose to be with. I will not allow you to hurt Emma again. I want to be with her and I'm going to get her. You will stay away from us both and you will not meddle in our relationship. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Milah said timidly. She had lost all of her confidence and cockiness from the meal. Killian went inside the house to get his jacket. He thanked Snow and David and everyone else before he left. He walked past Milah and she grabbed his arm. "Killian, I'm sorry," she said.

He shrugged her off. "Not another word to me," he said.

"Killian!" David called. "Let me give you a lift."

"No, it's fine mate, I've got it from here."

"You're miles away from home with no idea how to get back. It's no problem." Killian nodded and they got into David's truck. David leant out the window and addressed Milah. "Get your things, and get out of my house. You upset Emma again, and I'm coming after you," he warned her. He sped out of the driveway and raced up the road.

Snow came down the steps holding Milah's coat and bag. "Never try to upset my best friend again, especially in front of me," Snow said. The protective mother instinct that Snow always had for Emma was dominant in her personality tonight and she was going to make sure Milah knew not to mess with her. Milah took her things and left. Snow went back inside to join her guests and they ate every last cupcakes and scrape of trifle and acted like nothing had happened.

David and Killian were silent on the drive home. When they reached the cross roads that would either take them to Emma's or Killian's, David asked where he wanted to go. Killian muttered Emma's name and David turned right. He pulled up opposite Emma's house and both were relieved to see her car parked outside. Before Killian left, David spoke.

"Killian, I just need to talk to you about something," he said. Killian shifted in his seat. "Emma's... Emma's been through a lot. She's had a difficult life and she's used to people leaving her. If you want to be with Emma, just make sure you're in it for the long haul. I can't sit by and watch Emma fall apart, I've seen it happen too many times and I don't think I can go through it again, let alone if Emma can go through it. If you don't think you can, I'll drive you home. If you can, then get your ass into her house and win her back." Killian looked at David and a weight lifted off his shoulders as he realised he'd won him over.

"The way you speak and protect Emma, it's as if you're her father." Killian said.

"Snow and I have helped Emma through a lot. And yes, I guess in some ways Snow and I are like Emma's parents. That's lucky for you, though," Killian looked confused. "Well, we both approve of you, so that's one less thing you need to worry about." They both laughed and Killian thanked him for the lift. "I'll wait for you incase she kicks you out," David said jokingly. Killian got out the car and walked up to the front door while David waited. Emma answered the door and was shocked to see him there.

"May I come in?" Killian asked. Emma nodded and stood back. She saw David and he waved to her. Emma waved back and shut the door as David drove off.

Killian's palms sweated and his heart raced. He needed to make things right with Emma and she needed to know the truth of his past. Emma gestured to the living room and he sat down on the sofa.

"I'll be back in a minute," Emma said and she went upstairs. Killian stood up and paced. How was he going to explain his past without giving the wrong impression? He was still angry with Milah and grateful that she had no way of contacting him. He sat back on the sofa, rested his mouth on his locked hands while his foot twitched impatiently.

Emma had been home for 5 minutes before Killian arrived. She'd only had time to greet Pongo and put him to bed. She was still in her outfit from the day and so she tore off her shirt, underpants, and skirt and kicked off her heels. She stood in the middle of her room completely naked, the back of her hair tickled her spine and the front of her hair covered her breasts. All Emma wanted to do was crawl into bed and forget what had happened but she knew she needed to deal with Killian. Emma had been through enough drama in her lifetime with men and she didn't want anymore. She was angry with herself for giving into Killian so soon after they met without knowing anything about him. Well he told her about his brother, but nothing about his past. But Emma knew that she wouldn't want him to judge her for her past and so she decided to listen to what he had to say. Emma couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was a big part of her that just trusted Killian.

"Emma?" Killian's voice came from the bottom of the stairs. "Is everything alright love? You've been up there for a while."

Emma swallowed and said, "You can come up." Emma darted into the bathroom as Killian ascended up the stairs. She shut the door slightly so he wouldn't see her but she could hear him. When Killian walked into her room she told him to sit down because she'd be out in a minute. Killian sat on the armchair opposite the bedroom door and shuffled to the edge of the seat. Emma washed off her makeup and pulled her hair into a messy bun. She grabbed her dressing gown, a thin, greyish blue jersey one, and put it on. When she walked into the bedroom Killian stood up. Emma sat on the bed against the headboard and Killian sat back down.

After a few moments, he spoke. "Emma, I can't apologise enough for tonight. Milah was wrong to address you like that, and she was wrong to humiliate you. You are an amazing person and I understand if this is too much for you. But before you decide, please allow me this time to tell you about the relationship I had with Milah to put your mind at ease. I don't want you to think there is a chance of reconciliation or that I have unrequited love for her." He waited for Emma to indicate she was ready before he continued. "I met Milah when I was 21 years old at a bar in Portsmouth. I hadn't decided on a career yet and had spent most of my youth sailing around on a boat. I was free and pleased with my life. But it was a lonely life and not one I wanted to continue. I'd been out with me mates for a tot of rum, and I saw this beautiful woman from across the way. I waited until me mates had gone before I approached her. She had been on her own the whole night but hadn't touched a drop of drink. I sat opposite her and we spoke about our mutual love of adventure. She had a passion to travel but she was unable to go anywhere for reasons she didn't tell me. We talked for hours before I offered to pay for a taxi home for her. She agreed and while we waited for the taxi I invited her to come and join me for a trip to Europe on the boat. I told her about the countries we could visit and the landmarks we could explore. She agreed but she had obligations at home. I told her I would be in Portsmouth until Saturday morn, two days from then, should she wish to join me. As I put her in the taxi, I kissed her hand and saw the ring. I apologised for making advances on a married woman, but she told me she no longer wished to be married. She asked for my number and I gave it to her but I didn't think for a moment that she would ring me. No matter how bad a marriage, I could never condone cheating." He paused and looked at Emma. She had moved from leaning against the headboard to sitting up. Her eyes were fixed on Killian's as she drank the words he gave her. His words were sincere and Emma believed him. "As I prepared to leave on the Saturday, there was no sign of Milah nor had I heard from her. Just as I untied the boat from the dock, Milah came running to me and jumped aboard. She told me she left her husband and she wanted to be with me. I didn't question her decision because of the mutual attraction we shared. We sailed out of Portsmouth and sailed round to Northern Ireland where we made port. We stayed in a hotel until Milah bought us a house. I was 21 years old with no ambitions, no money, just urges to be with the beautiful woman that had run away with me. I'm not proud of what we did but it was what we both wanted at the time. We lived in Ireland for a year before I secured a place at university to study Law. We moved to London and after I graduated, I got a job in a law firm and I proposed to Milah. We married a few months later and we spoke of starting a family." Emma shifted awkwardly; thinking about Milah and Killian together like that didn't sit well with her. She wasn't jealous, she just struggled to imagine Milah as anything but the vile person she was that night. "A young lad, probably about 13 years old, turned up at the door about a year after we married. He introduced himself as Baelfire and called Milah 'mum'. I was confused, as to be expected, and I assumed he was mistaken. But Milah was silent and I knew the lad was right. It was late at nigh and I let him stay over and the truth behind all the lies Milah had told over the years began to come out. Milah's marriage was not as horrific as she had made out. Her husband loved her and he did everything he could to provide for them. Milah had had a string of lovers over the years and had never been able to keep one around long enough because they soon found out the truth." His voice quivered and Emma could see the tears in his eyes.

"Milah knew I had a boat and used my vulnerability to ensure I would help her leave. It turns out her promiscuity didn't end despite our marriage vows. She only began to realise her true feelings for me about 4 months before Baelfire turned up. She had used me as an escape plan from her distorted life and lied to me about it. She never loved me, but I loved her." Killian buried his face in his hands and cried silent tears. Emma leapt off the bed and comforted him. He kept his face hidden like Emma kept her arms around him until the tears stopped. Emma grabbed a tissue from her dresser and dried his tears.

She didn't know what to think except that a part of her was grateful he had just as messed up a life as she did. She knew she wouldn't be alone and she had someone with her who would understand her worries and help her through it. She looked at Killian and for the first time she felt genuine love. Not the falsehood of a first love between young adults, not the rebound of a second love, but a genuine first love of two souls that had found each other. It was just a small part of her heart that this love filled, but it was enough.

"That woman you met tonight was Milah in her truest form. She is a vile woman and I cannot apologise enough for what she did to you." Killian said. He stood up and put the tissue in the bin. He faced away from Emma as he spoke. "Our first kiss meant a great deal to me for more reasons than you know. It exposed something." Emma stood up as Killian turned around. "I didn't think I'd ever get over what she did to me. That is, until I met you. In the few hours I had known you, you had shown me more sincerity and kindness than she showed me in the years I knew her. You saved me, Emma. And if you will let me, I should like to save you from whatever demons are in your past."

Emma ran to him, grabbed his collar and pulled him in for a kiss. Killian was relieved that she believed and forgave him. He lifted her up and her arms hugged his neck. Her thumb stroked his jawline; the roughness of his beard soothed her. They broke apart for a moment and gazed into each other's eyes. He put her down and cupped her face with his hands. "Emma, I know it's only been a few days, but I-".

Emma stopped him. "I know," she said. He smiled and kissed her again. She unbuttoned his shirt and dropped it on the floor behind him. Killian kissed her neck as his trousers and underwear fell to the floor. Emma walked backwards to the bed and Killian stepped out of his trousers. He laid on the bed and Emma mounted him. He sat up and untied her dressing gown, kissing her shoulders as the dressing gown revealed her skin. They kissed for a few moments longer before Emma shifted and he was inside her. They stayed as close together as possible while they made love slowly and gently, not wanting to rush this moment. As they began to reach completion, the pace quickened and the moans grew louder. He bit into her shoulder and she gripped his back with her nails. They remained still afterwards, hot sweat dripped from their heads and down their back. Most of Emma's hair had fallen out of the bun and the ends were wet with sweat. Emma pushed Killian's hair that had stuck to his forehead to reveal the beautiful eyes she loved looking at so much. Killian laid back, Emma dismounted him, and with their arms around each other they fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17:**

 **My apologies this chapter comes so late – I hit writer's block and then I was celebrating my birthday so I've had no time to write. But I'm back with a new chapter and I hope you'll enjoy it. Also, there's a discussion about Harry Potter in this chapter so if you haven't read the 6th one, you might not want to read this chapter!**

"Emma," Killian moved her blonde hair away from her ear and whispered. Emma mumbled but didn't wake up. "Emma," Killian whispered again. He put down the cup of tea he was holding and sat next to her. "Emma, it's time to get up." He gently shook her. She rolled over to face him and flopped her arm over his stomach. Killian laughed at her cuteness and moved her hair out of her eyes. "Swan, you need to wake up or you'll be late for work," Killian laughed. Begrudgingly, Emma opened her eyes and looked up at Killian. He smiled down at her, "Good morning, beautiful," he said.

"Morning," she smiled sleepily.

"Libations for the fair maiden," he passed her the cup of hot tea. She smiled and sat up straight, the duvet exposing her naked chest. Killian had his arm around her and his drink in the other hand. They sipped their tea in comfortable silence, enjoying their last few moments of free time before they had to get ready for work.

Emma rested her head on the crease between Killian's neck and shoulder and he stroked her arm. "I really don't want to go to work today," Emma muttered. She used her feet to play with Killian's, which made him chuckle.

"I know, love. This is where I want to be," he kissed her forehead.

"How long do we have?" Emma said as she put her cup down. Killian drained his cup and placed it next to Emma's.

"Well, it's 6am now, so I'd estimate I can steal at least an hour of your time before you're really late," Killian said playfully as he kissed her head again.

"An hour's a long time," Emma sat up and looked at him. Killian loved the way she looked in the morning; her hair tasseled, bare face, tired eyes but a loving smile.

"Well that would depend on the activity. An hour may not be a long time," Killian decided to play along. He sat up and looked her in the eye before he wound his arm around her waist and kissed her. As Emma kissed him back, they fell against the bed. Killian kissed her jaw, her neck, and her chest. He fondled her as he went lower and lower, leaving a trail of kisses. Emma's head tilted back and she let out a soft moan when Killian went between her legs. She gripped the bedding as his tongue explored her. His hands stroked her chest, her legs, and the curve of her back. As Emma's pleasure increased, her back arched more and more and her moans grew louder. Killian used his thumb to assist his tongue, which drove Emma wild. Her feet were on his shoulder for a few seconds before Killian lifted them back to allow his exploration to deepen. When he felt Emma was close, he stopped and sat back. Emma lay still for a moment before making eye contact with Killian. He held out his hand, which she took, and he pulled her up and helped her turn over. He helped position her and she slid onto him. She lifted herself up and down gently and slowly; Killian's moans in her ear spurred her. He caressed her breasts, played with her hard nipples, and used his right hand to find her centre. Emma gripped Killian's right arm and left thigh as she grew closer to orgasm.

"Emma," Killian moaned as Emma began to quicken the pace. This was too much for Killian and he grabbed onto her breast and moved his right hand to her stomach. Emma held onto his hands and arched her head back to rest onto his shoulder as she moved faster and faster. Killian's grip grew tighter and Emma loved what she was doing to him. She began to circle her hips, but Killian couldn't take it any longer. He flipped her over and looked deep into her eyes as he rapidly thrusted into her while Emma's nails dug into his back. He cried out her name as he came, and thrusted a few times longer until Emma came. Still inside her, he flopped on top of her, both of them breathing fast.

"Really, Swan," Killian said breathlessly. "Is there anything you can't do?" They both laughed and kissed again.

20 minutes later and they were both dressed and left the house. Killian was forced to wear the outfit from the previous day, and Emma had opted for a dark floral playsuit, black tights, brown suede knee high boots, and a cream knitted snood. She swept her hair into a side fishtail braid and wore her usual makeup. Emma dropped Pongo off at Ruby's and introduced her to Killian. They got into Emma's car, and she drove them to Killian's. He rushed inside so he could grab what he needed for work and a jacket, and they drove to the station. Emma loved having Killian with her; she linked her arm through his and walked proudly through the station. Killian bought them a coffee each and they got a seat on the train.

They managed to get a table, and Emma sat herself against the wall and put her legs over Killian. During the commute, Killian worked on his laptop while Emma went through her plans for the lectures. They were both completely at ease in each other's company, and so it wasn't difficult for Emma to imagine that their life would be something like this if they were together for a long time. Killian asked for Emma's advice on his work and Emma asked Killian to check over her spelling and grammar. When Emma finished her work, she sat forward and kept giving Killian kisses to distract him. Luckily Killian found it cute rather than annoying and proceeded to tickle the backs of her knees after each kiss. They both giggled loudly and no doubt the other passengers were not as amused, but Emma didn't care. She had never felt this way about anyone before, and she didn't care who knew it.

They held hands as they walked through Liverpool Street and down to the tube. Once on the tube, Killian had one arm around Emma's waist and the other on the bar above their heads. Emma kept her arms around Killian and they chatted as the train sped on. Killian spoke about how he'll finish work at about 6pm that night, whereas Emma would finish at 3pm. Emma told him about the lectures she had and the meeting she couldn't get out of, which made Killian laugh. The tube was nearly at Bank and Killian regrettably had to say goodbye to Emma. He kissed her, his thumb stroked her waist and Emma's arms were around his. The train arrived at the station, and Killian kissed Emma's forehead, cheek, and then he left. He stood and waited until the train left, both of them waved goodbye to each other. When Killian was out of sight, Emma felt a tear come to her eye. She blinked it away and was surprised with herself over how emotionally invested she had become in Killian Jones.

Emma's day was short and easy; she had a few emails to sort through and phone calls to make before her 12pm lecture about the Elizabethan era with her second years. Emma liked to give her second years an easy and enjoyable topic, and the Elizabethan one always proved a winner. After her hour of teaching and ten minute break, the students began to talk about novels. One of the students called Grace was debating about how villains are bad people who don't deserve to be given a happy ending.

"That's not fair," piped up another student. "They're only called villains because that's how they're written." Emma beamed at him; this kid was called Henry and Emma had gotten along with him since he started on the course. He shared her passion of fiction and he usually offered her a title of a book to read or an interesting discussion on books they'd both read.

"What do you mean, Henry?" Emma asked as she leant back against the desk.

"Well, there has to be a hero and a villain, right?" he said, and Emma nodded. "So the author makes the choice of having a hero and a villain. They create both of the characters and write the story to make the villain a villain. But the villain is just a victim of circumstance."

"Interesting idea," Emma said. "Can you think of an example?"

"Yeah, there's Voldemort from Harry Potter. He's a victim of circumstance. He had no choice in why he was evil," Henry began, but Grace interrupted him.

"He did, he decided to do all those unspeakable things!"

"He was conceived under the effects of a love potion which means he cannot love. He didn't decide that, his character was decided for him long before he was born. How would he know his actions were wrong if he didn't know what love was?" The hall was silent and then there was a murmur of agreement.

"You've thought a lot about this, haven't you?" Emma said. "But let's think about a character whose background you might not know too much about."

"What about Captain Hook?" piped up a girl from the back row.

"The floor is yours," Emma said. The girl stood up and Emma recognised her as Gretal, a troublesome student who rarely made an appearance. When she was attending, Emma liked to ensure she was encouraged as much as possible.

"Well, we don't know anything about him… so how do we know he's a villain?" she said.

"That's true, but the movie, if we're all talking about the movie here, doesn't explain why he's a villain. We're just told that he's bad because he wants to hurt Peter Pan. But how do we know Peter Pan is a good guy?" Emma said. She walked all around the front of the hall as she spoke, a habit she'd picked up from one of her lecturers when she was sat in this very room. "Peter Pan is childish, naïve, and is essentially a child snatcher. Why is he the hero?"

This debate went on for the next hour and produced some rather interesting theories. The students continued to discuss it as they left the hall and Emma packed up her things. She checked her phone but hadn't received anything. Disappointed, she put her phone back in her bag and walked across campus to her office.

After an hour of work, Emma received an email to say her meeting had been cancelled. Knowing she had nothing better to do, she decided to stay to do more work. Her third years had begun to send her drafts of essays, plans for their dissertations, and requests for references for graduate jobs. Emma was swamped under so much work that she didn't hear the door knock.

"Erm, Emma Swan?" a small voice said. Emma whipped around to see a large man holding a large bunch of flowers. It was the most beautiful collection of flowers Emma had ever seen. An explosion of colours took the form of sunflowers, roses, lilies, hydrangeas, and chrysanthemums, enclosed by a damask print gift bag.

"Yeah, that's me," Emma said. The man crossed the room and handed Emma the flowers before he ducked out of the room. It took a few moments for Emma to absorb the beauty that was this spontaneous gift. She saw a card and smiled as she read it:

 _Swan, beautiful flowers for a beautiful lady. Don't work too hard, Killian._

She placed the flowers on her desk and took a photo of the flowers and the card. She sent it to her friends and posted it on Instagram with the caption "surprise flowers sent to my office from Killian has made my day!" She returned to her work but every now and then she would glance at the flowers and smile.

Emma read her book on the tube with her flowers sat on the floor in front of her. She was so invested in her book that she didn't notice someone drop into the seat next to her.

"They're beautiful. The person who sent you those must have impeccable taste." Emma looked up to see Killian next to her. She greeted him with a kiss and gushed thanks over the flowers. "I was sad to leave you this morning without a proper goodbye and so I hoped these would make up for it.

"Thank you so much," Emma smiled and kissed him again.

"I have another present for you," he said and gave her a bag. Emma gave him a skeptical look before she opened it. Her jumper and shirt from Friday was dried and free from coffee stains. She thanked him and kissed his cheek. "How was your day?" For the rest of the journey Emma spoke about her day and the interesting discussion her students had. Killian told her about his day spent in court and in the office and how they'd helped an innocent man charged with murder be released.

Emma dropped Killian off at his house and he watched as she drove away. Realising he hadn't washed in a couple of days, he went upstairs and showered. He whistled with happiness while he showered, dressed, and cooked dinner. It was a long time since he had been this happy and it was all because of Emma. He was glad Emma liked the flowers; he was worried she would think it creepy to send them so soon after they saw each to but it appeared that Emma felt as he did.

The next few days flew by as Emma and Killian busied themselves with work. They called each other every night while they ate dinner and sent the occasional text during the day. This relationship, or whatever it was they had, was exactly what Emma needed and wanted. She liked being together on the weekend and then talking throughout the week. It had only been a few days since they first met and sometimes it still baffled Emma how much affection they had for each other.

Friday arrived and Killian had asked Emma on a date and Emma agreed on the condition she could cook for them. Emma wore a cropped burgundy jumper and a ditsy skater skirt and Killian wore a midnight blue shirt and black trousers. They both drank wine as Emma cooked them mushroom and bacon risotto, her favourite dish. It was an unusually warm night, and Emma lit candles in the garden as Killian set the table. They discussed their week as they ate and laughed at each other's funny stories. Once they'd eaten, Killian cleared away the table and put on calm music.

"May I have this dance?" Killian asked as he held his hand out for Emma.

"Yes, you may," Emma laughed and took his hand. He pulled her up and they slow danced in a close embrace to the gentle sound of David Gray's voice. Emma leant her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat and Killian guided them around in a slow turn. They may have been there for the hours it felt like, until Emma lifted her head and looked into Killian's eyes.

"Can I ask you something?" she said, they continued to dance.

"Anything, love," he replied with a slight concern in his eye.

"Erm, what are we?" she muttered.

"What do you mean?" they had stopped turning.

Emma took a deep breath before she spoke. "Are we dating or is this something else? I know it's been a week since we met, but a lot has happened between, more than most people go through in 6 months, let alone a week. I just need to know I'm not wasting my time," Emma sounded more confrontational than she felt.

"Emma, when David dropped me here on Sunday he told me you're used to people leaving your life." Emma's gaze dropped and her heart began to race as she panicked about what he might have said. "He told me that I need to be in it for the long haul or else I shouldn't go to the front door. And Emma, guess what I did." He lifted her chin with his bent finger. "I went to the front door. I'm in this for the long haul, love. As long as you'd like me to be." The honesty of his words was clear in his eyes that made Emma reach up and kiss him.

"Does… does this mean you're my boyfriend now?" Emma giggled.

"I'll be whatever you'd like me to be," Killian said. Emma grabbed the top of his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. He lifted her onto the table and the kiss deepened. The temperature dropped and Killian carried Emma back into the house, and after he locked the door, he carried her upstairs to the bedroom. They kissed for a few moments but that was all they wanted. Emma sat Killian down and told him she needed to tell him something. She told Killian about her relationship with Neal, right up until the moment they broke up. She decided against telling him about the baby and taking him to court, but she knew he wouldn't judge her for being the victim of domestic abuse, and so she told him about Neal's violent tendencies. After Emma told Killian about her past, he kissed her and told he he'd never treat her that way. Emma changed into her usual baggy shirt, Killian wore nothing, and they fell asleep in each other's arms.

They woke the next day entwined in each other. Killian's right hand was across Emma's stomach and his left arm was under her neck holding Emma's hand. Their legs were tangled together and the bedding covered their lower halves. They awoke at the same time and Emma felt something stabbing her in the back.

"Honestly, Killian, you've been awake for two seconds and you'll already up for an adventure between the sheets," Emma said as she rolled onto her back.

"What can I say," he muttered with his eyes still closed. "It's hard not to get excited when I've got such a sexy, beautiful woman next to me." Emma kissed him and got out of bed. She returned with a glass of water and climbed on top of him. "Ooof, watch it Emma," Killian laughed.

"What did you want to do today?" Emma asked after she put her glass down. Killian pretended to think before he had her on her back. They kissed for a few moments and Killian prepared to enter her, neither of them needing anymore time than this.

Pongo bounded into the room barking his head off. Emma sat up straight away.

"What's wrong, love?"

"Pongo never barks. Pongo, what's happened?" Emma said, as she got down from the bed and examined Pongo. He kept barking and then ran out the room. Emma grabbed the closest item of clothing, which happened to be Killian's shirt, and wrapped it around herself. She took her water and followed Pongo out of the room. Killian sat back in the bed not knowing what he should do. When he heard the front door open and Emma's glass smash on the floor, Killian leapt up, covered his lower half up with the bed sheet and ran out of the room.

When Killian got halfway down the stairs he saw what the commotion was about. Pongo was barking his head off and Emma was stood still, glass smashed on the floor. There was a figure at the door, a face that Killian recognised but didn't know. Killian stood next to Emma and when he saw the scared look on her face, he knew who he was.

Neal Cassidy was at Emma's door.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Emma's heart was in her mouth. What was he doing here? How did he find her? Her heart began to race and she felt her knees grow weak, unable to support her body. As if he could read her mind, Killian ran down the stairs, locked the door and caught Emma as she collapsed on top of him unconscious. Abandoning the bed sheet around his hips, he scooped up Emma and carried her upstairs. When he knew she was safe and comfortable, Killian left her on the bed, pulled on his trousers, and went downstairs. He took a deep breath and answered the door.

Neal was still stood outside, and as Killian took in his predecessor's appearance; he wondered how someone as slimy as Neal convinced Emma to be with him.

"So you must be the new me," Neal said, jokingly. Killian kept one hand on the door and the other on the doorframe ready to slam shut if need be.

"What do you want?" Killian said, not bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice.

"Emma," Neal said, as if Killian had asked the simplest question.

"I'm sorry, mate, but that's not happening," Killian said and he stood a little taller. Neal reciprocated.

"How about we let Emma decide?" Neal retorted.

"You must be mad if you think I'm letting you in this house." After everything Emma had told him about Neal, Killian was slightly afraid. But he would rather die than let Neal anywhere near Emma.

Emma had come around and it took a moment to register why she was now in her bedroom. Killian and Neal's voices trailed into the bedroom and Emma was scared. What could she do? She knew Neal well enough to know he wouldn't leave without getting what he came for. Emma knew he wanted her, but she feared what he wanted. There was only one thing to do; she sent a text from her phone and pulled on a pair of jeans and a vest top.

"Killian, it's okay," Emma said as she walked down the stairs. A huge smile of relief spread across Neal's face.

"Emma, you look beautiful." Neal said; he tried to pass Killian but he kept his hands firmly in place. "Emma, I want to talk to you."

Emma stopped when she was stood near Killian but in full view of Neal. "So talk."

Neal looked from Emma to Killian. "In private," he said and nodded towards Killian.

"I'm sorry, but that's not happening," Emma said. "We both know what happened last time we were alone together." Emma crossed her arms and prayed the recipient of her text would arrive soon.

"I want to talk to you about that," Neal said. "Please, Emma. I'm beggin' you."

Emma's phone buzzed twice in her back pocket.

"Okay," Emma said. Killian looked at her in disbelief and reluctantly let Neal pass him. Emma slipped her phone to Killian who read the messages and realised what Emma was doing.

"I'll give you folks some privacy," Killian said. He took Pongo by the collar and put the door on the latch as he stepped outside.

Emma led Neal into the living room and offered him a seat. Neal sat down and Emma perched nervously on the armchair closest to the door. She scanned around to see which would be the quickest way to leave; she decided jumping over the sofa and through the front door would be the best bet.

"Emma, I miss you," Neal said after several minutes of silence. Emma didn't look at him; she just looked at the floor. "It's been 10 years, Emma. Please talk to me." Again, Emma just stared at the floor. "Emma, please," Neal's voice rose, which caught Emma's attention. Her eyes darted up and met Neal's; he realised his tone and for the first time, Emma saw regret in his eyes.

"Neal-" Emma started to say but Neal stopped her.

"Emma, I made a lot of mistakes and I hurt you. I want to make things right. I want you back," Neal said.

"Neal, you hurt me. You killed our baby. You never said you loved me. You tried to kill me," Emma's voice broke as she relived his violent attack in the stairway. Her leg began to twitch nervously, worried that her saviour would not arrive. Neal made a fist with his hand, his knuckles turned white. Emma knew this M.O well, and she feared for her own safety. Neal stood up and walked to the front door and for a brief moment she thought he was leaving. But Emma knew better than this and her suspicions were confirmed; Neal locked the door. Her mind raced as she struggled to remember where the keys to the back door were and if she would get there in time. Neal walked over to her and Emma braced herself for fight or flight.

"Emma, I've been real patient with you. I left you alone when you were in hospital, I gave you space after the trial, and now I've given you 10 years. But you are mine, and I will have what's mine." He walked over to her, his eyes unblinking and Emma's heart began to race. Her plan would not work, not unless they were planning to knock down the front door. "I've asked you nicely. I've begged and pleaded, but I'm done playin' nice." He grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against the wall. The photo frames on the wall smashed around her, and seconds later Killian was thumping at the front door and calling Emma's name.

"Emma! Emma, are you okay? Emma!" The fear and desperation was clear in Killian's voice and what was also clear was that Emma's savior was not there.

Emma grabbed onto Neal's hand and tried to loosen his grip but it was no good. The evil grin Neal used to wear so often was back. He leaned closer to Emma and whispered, "I told you, you're mine. Your little fuck buddy outside is done for. Did you think I'd really let you get away with fuckin' your way around all the men you meet? Ever wonder why you haven't heard from August?" The name caught Emma's attention and she feared the worst. "He's gone. I got rid of him. I ran him and his stupid motorbike off the road. I stood and smiled as his bike tumbled down the hill, blood trailin' behind him before he landed in the river. His body washed away. Dead." Emma began to cry and she continued to fight him. Neal slammed her against the wall a second time and pinned her in place using his body. "After I'm done with you, I'm goin' after your latest. I might even invite him to watch. Would you like that? Would he like that? Shall we find out?" The years had made him crueler and Emma no longer knew him. She could not predict what he could do; all she could do was make sure he went nowhere near Neal. He slammed her again and she fell on the floor; she felt blood trickle down her back. As Neal walked towards the front door, Emma grabbed a piece of glass from a broken photo frame. She leapt at him and dug the piece of glass into his back. Neal screamed in pain and fell to the floor. She scrambled off him and barely managed to unlock the front door before Neal attacked her.

"KILLIAN!" Emma bellowed, the loudest she had ever shouted. Emma used all of her energy to kick Neal off her just as Killian kicked down the front door, which took Neal down with it. Killian burst through and Emma grabbed his hand and pulled him through the house. He shut the front door, placed a chair in front of it and armed himself with a kitchen knife as Emma hunted the kitchen for the keys. Pongo could be heard barking for help outside the front of the house. Killian crossed the floor and cupped Emma's face with his hands.

"Are you okay?" He said as he scanned her face for injuries.

"I don't know," Emma cried. "My head's bleeding." Killian turned Emma around and was horrified that her blonde hair was tainted red. The blood had dripped down her spine and dyed her white vest red. He got a tea towel, filled it with ice and held it against her head.

"Guard the door," Emma said, and she continued to hunt for the keys while Killian stood by the door.

"Killian," Emma said quietly.

"What's wrong?" Killian asked.

"My keys are in my handbag."

"Where's your bag?"

"Upstairs," Emma said meekly. Emma and Killian shared the same look of panic as they realised they were trapped. "Where's my phone?" Emma said as she heard Neal start to stand up. Killian tossed her phone over, and Emma called the number she texted. "Graham? I need you," Emma said desperately. "Please hurry, Neal's in the house, he's attacked me, OH MY GOD," Emma shouted down the phone as Neal burst through the kitchen door and launched himself at Killian.

Emma dropped the phone and ran over and tried to pull Neal off Killian whilst simultaneously dodging out of the way of the knife. Neal elbowed Emma in the face, which sent her backwards. She fell against the cupboard and it was this final blow that knocked her out. She did not see Neal disarm Killian. She did not see Neal pick up the knife. And she did not see Neal thrust the knife into Killian's stomach and run out of the house.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

It took two days for Emma to come around and when she did, she awoke to find herself in a hospital bed with someone holding her hand. Emma looked over to her right and saw Snow holding her hand, but she was asleep, her head resting on her other hand. David was fast asleep on the chair in the far corner and there was no one else around.

"Snow?" Emma said, weakly. Snow woke up and jumped to her feet.

"Emma! How are you? Oh, David, David wake up!" David woke up and rushed to Emma's bedside. Emma struggled to sit up, and then she realised how she got here.

"Killian, oh my god, is he okay? Where's Neal? What happened?" Emma blurted out, panic in her eyes. David and Snow exchanged glances before Snow perched on the edge of the bed.

"Emma, I want you to know that he'll be okay. He's where he needs to be and everyone is doing their best to look after him," Snow said gently.

"I don't understand," Emma said, desperation in her voice. "What happened?"

Snow sighed. "Killian was attacked. By Neal." Emma whimpered, the colour drained from her face and tears filled her eyes. "After you were knocked out, Neal got the knife from Killian and stabbed him. As he ran out the house, he pushed past Ruby. Luckily she recognised him and managed to call the police. An ambulance arrived 10 minutes later and you were both admitted here."

"Where am I?" Emma asked.

"Hillford General Hospital," David said.

"Is… Is Killian here?" Emma whispered.

"He's in ICU," Snow said. "I'll ask one of the nurses if you can see him." Snow left Emma's room and Emma laid back on the bed.

Snow returned a few minutes later with Nurse Blue, who helped Emma onto her feet. Leaving Snow and David in the room, Blue led Emma down the corridor to the lift. They went up two floors and walked left out of the lift and down two more corridors until they reached ICU.

Emma paused when she was outside the door, not because she was afraid to go in, but because she could see him. He had tubes attached all over his body, all connected to various screens that gently beeped. He looked so small on the bed, and Emma knew it was her fault he was there. If Emma had told Killian to close the door, none of this would have happened. They would have been safe inside Emma's house and she could have called the police. The police. Graham. Emma turned on her heel and ran down the corridor, through the doors to the stairway, all the way to reception.

"I need to speak to DCI Graham Humbert, please," Emma said breathlessly to the receptionist. She looked incredibly confused, but dialed the number anyway. "DCI Graham Humbert, please. He's needed at Hillford General Hospital ASAP. Thank you," the receptionist bleated down the phone. "He'll be 15 minutes, miss," she said.

Emma thanked her and sat in the waiting room. Her leg jigged nervously, her eyes fixated on the door. Any minute now he would march through them and he would have hell to pay for not getting to her sooner.

Graham arrived 10 minutes later and tried to bolt when he saw Emma, but she ran across the room and pulled him into a corner before he could.

"What the hell, Graham?!" Emma shouted as she pushed him against the wall. "You told me I could count on you, that you'd be there when I needed you! My life was in danger, my boyfriend was stabbed, all because you didn't show up! What the fuck, Graham?" Emma's voice grew louder with every word she shouted. If looks could kill, Graham would be dead.

"Emma, I'm sorry," Graham whispered after a long silence. Emma's shouts had attracted the security guards, but Graham waved them away. He gestured towards a door and Emma walked through it. It was a tiny conference room that had a small table with 8 chairs around it. Emma ignored Graham's offer of a seat and he sat down. Emma leant against the window, arms crossed, scolding at Graham.

"Emma, when I got your text I knew what I would be walking into. Admittedly it would have helped if I was there, but we've got to do it right this time." He continued when he saw the confusion on Emma's face. "I was too involved last time, too personally involved. I let my feelings cloud my judgement and I didn't do my job properly. Everyone in my department knew about our almost sexual encounter in my office and no one trusted me. Conflict of interest, they said. But this time it's different. My new department has no idea about our history and so I can fix this. I can stop him. I can't do it if there's any personal contact between us. You need to wipe the texts, erase the call history, do everything to make sure no one finds out. Then we can get rid of him."

Emma took a few moments to register what Graham said. "How do you know we won't be able to?" Emma asked.

"You know why," Graham said. Gold. That's how he got free last time. Gold manipulated the jury, he must have done. Emma understood what needed to be done. She needed to ensure Gold wouldn't win.

Graham left shortly afterwards and Emma walked back to the ICU. She waited outside the glass door and watched over Killian for hours. Nurses and Doctors asked if Emma wanted to go to sleep, to sit on a chair, have something to eat, but all Emma wanted to do was wait until Killian wakes up.

At 4:30am Emma noticed Killian's hand twitch. She burst through the doors and held his hand.

"Killian?" Emma whispered so quietly it was as if she feared the volume of her voice would break him. There was no movement. Emma sat on the edge of the bed, her hand gripped around his, and waited.

Emma woke up to the feel of someone stroking her hair. She raised her head and saw Killian was awake. "Killian!" Emma said, and she planted a kiss on his chapped lips.

"Hello, beautiful," he said, his voice croaky from dehydration. The sound of his voice made Emma burst into tears. "Hey, what's with the water works?" Killian continued to stroke her hair to soothe her and eventually the tears stopped.

"Killian, I'm sorry. I should never have dragged you into this. You've barely survived, and it's all my fault," Emma's voice broke. Killian lifted her head with his finger and thumb.

"You did not drag me into this. If I didn't want to be with you I would have left when you invited Neal inside. I stayed to make sure you would be okay and I would die before I let anything bad happen to you." He tucked her hair behind her ear and he kissed her. There weren't enough words in the world that could tell Killian how much his words meant to Emma. But, Killian knew Emma well enough to know this.

"How bad is it?" Emma asked.

"Just a bit of a twinge," Killian said. "Luckily everything else is perfectly intact," he added with a cheeky wink.

"I see you're feeling much better," Emma said, relieved he was returning to his normal self. "When will you be released?"

"Few more days, I reckon. Emma, have you spoken to the police?"

Emma blinked. Should she lie? "Erm, yeah. Killian, I need to tell you something." She helped him to sit up and told him about her relationship with Graham and taking Neal to court. She surprised herself when she heard herself telling Graham about her pregnancy, and Killian responded in the way Emma knew he would. He held her hand and told her how brave she was, and she was not to blame for what Neal did.

Emma stayed in the hospital until Killian was released a week later. David offered to drive them both home, but when Emma was stood outside her front door, she was reminded of everything that had happened.

"I can't do it," Emma said. "I can't live here anymore."

"You can stay with Snow and I," David said.

"No, I can't. It's too far away from work. I'll just get a hotel in the city, or I'll crash in halls."

"What about with me?" Killian said. It was abrupt and made Emma jump.

"What about you?" Emma asked, even though she knew what he meant.

"Stay with me. Until you find somewhere you'd like to live. It wouldn't be a problem, there's plenty of room and I know it's early days, I'm not trying to pressure you, I just want to help," Killian shrugged. Emma stood in disbelief. "You can have your own room, it wouldn't be like we were properly living together, unless that's what you want? I want to be with you, Emma, but I don't want to force you into something you're not comfortabl-" Emma cut him off midsentence by planting a huge kiss on his lips.

"As long as you're sure," Emma said.

"I am," Killian replied and kissed her again. David took the keys from Emma's hand and let himself into the house while Killian and Emma continued to kiss.

"Right, let's get me out of here," Emma said when the kiss broke. Killian left to go find boxes to pack up Emma's things while Emma and David began to sort her possessions into what she wanted to keep, throw away, or give to charity.

* * *

It took 2 months to track Neal down and arrest him. By that time, Emma had found a new home. She'd loved living with Killian, she was completely at ease, and despite their original plans Emma ended up staying in Killian's room. But Emma wanted to move away, it was too close to her old home and she wanted to be free. She'd handed in her notice at the university and was set to move to Bournemouth. It was a lovely town on the south west coast of England that had a long stretch of beach, a pier to walk on, a decent amount of shops, and an air of freedom about it. She hadn't told Killian yet, but it wouldn't have made a difference. Killian had been unemployed for the last month and was looking for a fresh start.

It was early Saturday morning when Emma received the phone call about Neal's arrest while she was making breakfast for her and Killian. They'd chosen waffles with ice cream, strawberries and bananas. Killian was humming away to himself as he sorted out the laundry and smiled at Emma every time he caught her eye. When Emma saw who was ringing, she almost didn't answer. It had been a month and a half since the witness support officer had called and Emma knew exactly why they were ringing. She knew he'd been arrested, and she knew she would have to go to court.

"Hello?" Emma said.

"Hi Emma, It's Regina Mills, from Witness Support," Regina's voice sang down the phone.

"Hi Regina, what can I do for you?" Emma said; Killian whipped around to face Emma upon hearing Regina's name.

"Neal Cassidy has been arrested." Emma's heart skipped a beat and her stomach dropped. "He was trying to persuade a man in Portsmouth to give him a boat and when the mad refused Neal turned violent. Someone recognised him from the news and called the police. He's in Holborn Police station now." Killian has crossed the room and was stood in front of her, arms crossed, concern on his face. "Emma, we need you to come and identify him. Just to cover our backs, really. And there is a possibility that you'll be needed in court to testify."

"When shall I come in?" Emma asked.

"Today, if that works for you." Emma sighed. She and Killian had planned to go to Hyde Park Winter Wonderland. Killian had never been before and Emma loved to go every year, especially just before Christmas. If she only had to identify him, then it should take 10 minutes and they could go. But Emma hadn't seen him since the attack, neither had Killian, and Emma feared it would ruin their life they'd built together.

"What time?" Emma said, knowing it was better to get it over and done with.

"10am. It'll take a few moments, you can just identify us and go. Nothing will happen until the New Year," Regina reassured her.

"Okay, I'll see you then." Emma ended the call and relayed the information to Killian.

"Well, we better eat this and get ready," Killian kissed Emma's forehead.

"You don't mind?" Emma was slightly shocked.

He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "I want him to pay for what he did to you and the sooner we can make that happen, the better," he said as he kissed her. Emma hugged him close, her head on his chest, as she wondered what she had done to deserve someone like him.

They got to Holborn police station at 9:45am after they'd eaten their breakfast. It was colder than it usually was in London mid-December, but Emma welcomed it. She loved the cold weather because she could dress for warmth and wear knitted jumpers, scarfs and hats. Today she was dressed in an short dark brown skirt, dark brown ankle boots, thick black tights, black tshirt, black leather jacket and a burgundy scarf that she wrapped around her neck 4 times. She loved her winter wardrobe; it was her favourite part of winter. But now she had another reason to love the cold weather; Killian. She smiled at the way he was dressed; matching leather jacket, burgundy knitted jumper, grey knitted scarf, black jeans and Chelsea boots. As they walked to the police station, Emma had her arm linked through Killian's and held herself close to him, his warmth radiated into her. She hadn't felt like this in the longest time, she was completely at ease, even with the knowledge she would soon be faced with her ex.

Neal was in an interview room handcuffed to the table. He looked awful; hair beginning to grey, bags under his eyes, sunken cheeks. Emma was glad he looked awful, and she was even happier to see how guilty he looked. Emma had no problem identifying him and the police officer who escorted her to the room informed her that a trial wouldn't occur until after the New Year. He told her Neal was to be kept here until then.

They left the police station in high spirits and neither of them gave Neal a second thought. They arrived at Hyde Park at 11:30am and spent the whole day there. They played on the arcade games, went on the rides, drank hot chocolate, ate roast pork, and they ended the evening ice-skating. Emma had never been before; every year she had been here she had stood at the side and watched every skate around. Killian was patient with her as he tried to teach her. He was an expert. He skated backwards as he pulled Emma forward and eventually she got the hang of it. After an hour Emma had become so confident she challenged Killian to a race around the rink. Killian let her win, she was sure of it, but she was so happy that she didn't care. The winter sun was beginning to set when Killian grabbed her waist and pulled her close. He kissed her and snow began to fall. Emma looked up and smiled at the sky when a snowflake fell on her cheek. They skated around the rink one last time and Killian repeated himself. His arms were around her waist and Emma could tell he wanted to say something.

"Emma," he said, the anxiousness he felt was clear. "Emma, I know it's only been a few months since we met, but we've been through so much together it feels like we've been together for years." Emma's heart began to race. "I know about Bournemouth, and I want to come with you."

"How?" Emma smiled; she was relieved he knew.

"You're not very secretive. You used my laptop to look at houses and left the webpage open after you finished using it," Killian chuckled. Emma leant her forehead on his chest, embarrassed at her silliness. "I want to come with you. I want to start a new life with you. I… I love you," Killian said. Emma grinned from ear to ear.

"I love you too," she said, and Killian cupped her face with his hands and kissed her.

"Does this mean I'm coming with you?" Killian asked.

"Yes, I'm afraid it does," Emma smiled, and they kissed once more as the snow fell around them.

They could barely keep their hands off each other on the way home. When they got home, Emma went to the kitchen to get the bottle of Laurent Perrier champagne she'd been saving while Killian lit the fire. Emma handed Killian a glass and they drank to their love. Killian had put on some chill out music that sounded like a mixture of Ed Sheeran and James Bay. After they drained their glasses, they slow danced to the music; their foreheads touching, eyes closed, arms around each other and swayed.

It wasn't long before their mouths had met and their tongues were swirling around each other. Emma lifted Killian's jumper over his head and kissed his chest, her finger teased his chest hair. Killian untucked Emma's top from her skirt and ran his hands underneath to her underwear. He caressed her arse, wanting desperately for them to both be naked, but he wanted to take his time. Emma had the same thought, but allowed Killian to remove her top, revealing the black lace bra she had opted to wear. He wondered if her underwear matched and as he knelt on his knees and gently unzipped her skirt, he saw he was right. The skirt dropped to her ankles and Emma stepped out of it. Killian began to roll down her tights; he kissed her legs as he did so. Emma's hand was in his hair, her eyes closed, lips slightly parted. He kissed her hipbones and pulled down her underwear, tossed it to one side, and kissed her core. Emma stepped back after a while, wanting to return the favour. She stripped Killian naked, whipped off her bra, and took him in her mouth. He moaned in pleasure, his hands in her hair, and he watched her work. She stopped when he warned her he was close. Emma laid on her back on top of the fur rug she'd bought as a silly present, and Killian entered her. Emma wrapped her legs around him as he thrusted slowly and deeply into her, not wanting to rush, just wanting to be together for as long as possible. They made love until the fire burnt out in the early hours of the morning.


End file.
